Pooja Hegde Praises South Cinema, Says Bollywood Offered Only Glamour Roles
Many actresses who begin their careers in South Indian films and later move to Bollywood often criticize the South Indian industry for limiting them to glamorous roles. However, Pooja Hegde has taken a completely different stand.
Though she debuted in Bollywood, Pooja’s most impactful performances and biggest hits have come from Telugu and Tamil cinema. In a recent interview, she candidly admitted that Bollywood rarely gave her meaningful roles, often casting her as a mere glamour figure. “Except for Mohenjo-Daro, most of my Hindi films didn’t give me memorable characters,” she said.
On the contrary, she credited South filmmakers for trusting her with well-written, performance-driven roles. She pointed to her latest Tamil film Retro, directed by Karthik Subbaraj, as an example — a project that allowed her to showcase her acting range.
Pooja also recalled her emotionally rich characters in Telugu hits like Aravinda Sametha and Radhe Shyam, saying they had depth and scope for performance. She expressed her desire to continue working in such roles that challenge her as an actress.
While opportunities in Telugu cinema have slowed in recent times, Pooja remains busy with Tamil projects and select Bollywood films — but she makes it clear where her heart truly lies.
