There was a time when Pooja Hegde was among the most sought-after actresses in South Indian cinema. After the blockbuster success of Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo, she seemed unstoppable, signing one big project after another across Telugu, Tamil, and Hindi.
But the last six years have been nothing short of disastrous.
Remarkably, Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo, released in 2020, remains her last proper blockbuster. Since then, Pooja has appeared in a string of high-profile films, including Radhe Shyam, Most Eligible Bachelor, Acharya, Retro, Coolie, and a couple of Bollywood projects. Despite working with some of the biggest stars and directors, none of these films has given her the comeback she desperately needed.
Now, Vijay’s Jana Nayagan has joined that growing list of disappointments. The film has opened to terrible reviews, with many calling it an unworthy farewell for Vijay. Unfortunately for Pooja, another big film has ended in failure.
More worrying than the box office result is the kind of roles she has been accepting.
In Jana Nayagan, Pooja barely gets any scope to perform. Many viewers felt her role was so insignificant that it was difficult to tell whether she was the heroine or just an extended supporting character. She gets neither memorable moments nor any meaningful contribution to the narrative.
Instead of choosing author-backed roles, Pooja has repeatedly signed star-driven commercial films in which the heroine has very little to do. While such films may offer handsome paychecks, they cannot enhance an actress’s career when they fail.
Many actresses have gone through rough phases after enjoying stardom. The difference is that stars like Samantha eventually reinvented themselves with better script choices and bounced back.
There is hope that her upcoming film Sri Sri with Dulquer Salmaan delivers the success she badly needs. There are also rumors of her signing Allu Arjun’s next film, AA23, directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj. She will be hoping those projects finally help her end one of the longest rough phases of her career.
