Pooja Hegde

Pooja Hegde is an Indian actress who primarily works in Telugu, Hindi, and Tamil films. Recognised as one of the highest-paid actresses in South Indian cinema, she has won four SIIMA Awards and received four Filmfare Awards South nominations. She first gained public attention through beauty pageants before launching her acting career.

Hegde was born on 13 October 1990 in Mumbai, Maharashtra, into a Tulu-speaking Bunt family originally from Udupi, Karnataka. Her father, Manjunath Hegde, is a criminal lawyer, and her mother, Latha Hegde, is an immunologist and entrepreneur. Her elder brother, Rishabh Hegde, is an orthopaedic surgeon. Raised in Mumbai, she attended Maneckji Cooper Education Trust School and graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce degree from M. M. K. College. She trained in classical music and dance, including Bharatanatyam, and is fluent in Tulu, English, Hindi, Marathi, Kannada, and Telugu.

Hegde competed in the Miss India 2009 competition, winning the Miss India Talented title. In 2010, she was the runner-up at Femina Miss India South and second runner-up at Miss Universe India. She made her film debut in the 2012 Tamil superhero film Mugamoodi opposite Jiiva, earning nominations for Best Female Debut at both the SIIMA Awards and the Filmfare Awards South.

In 2014, Hegde expanded into Telugu cinema with the romantic comedy Oka Laila Kosam and the drama Mukunda. She made her Hindi film debut in 2016 in the period film Mohenjo Daro opposite Hrithik Roshan. She achieved wider commercial success in 2017 with the Telugu action comedy DJ: Duvvada Jagannadham alongside Allu Arjun.

Between 2018 and 2021, Hegde established herself in Telugu cinema through several major releases. In 2018, she starred in Aravinda Sametha Veera Raghava, followed by Maharshi and the Hindi ensemble comedy Housefull 4 in 2019. In 2020, she starred in Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo, winning the SIIMA Award for Best Actress – Telugu. She earned a second SIIMA Best Actress award for her role as a stand-up comedian in Most Eligible Bachelor in 2021.

Hegde's subsequent projects included the multilingual romantic drama Radhe Shyam and the Tamil action comedy Beast in 2022. That same year, she made appearances in Acharya, F3: Fun and Frustration, and the Hindi comedy Cirkus. In 2023, she starred opposite Salman Khan in Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan.

In 2025, Hegde appeared in the Hindi thriller Deva, achieved commercial success with the Tamil film Retro, and made a special dance appearance in Coolie. In 2026, she starred in Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai and Jana Nayagan. Her upcoming projects include the film Kanchana 4 and the romantic film Sri Sri.

Beyond acting, Hegde runs a foundation named All About Love, which provides healthcare and education support to underprivileged children across India. Her philanthropic activities include funding medical treatment for child cancer patients, distributing COVID-19 relief supplies, supporting stray animal initiatives, and advocating for gender equality.