Pawan Kalyan’s gangster drama OG remains one of the few films in his recent career that fans wholeheartedly embraced. While the film delivered only an above-average box office result and couldn’t achieve breakeven, Sujeeth earned widespread appreciation for presenting Pawan Kalyan exactly the way his fans wanted to see him: stylish, intense, and larger than life.
That goodwill only grew stronger when Pawan Kalyan and Sujeeth surprised everyone by announcing OG 2, a prequel that will explore the origins of the OG universe.
Soon after the announcement, social media was flooded with reports claiming that Pooja Hegde had been finalized as Pawan Kalyan’s leading lady in the prequel.
However, the rumor was met with a surprisingly mixed response.
A large section of Pawan Kalyan fans felt the makers should choose a fresher face or an actress who better suits the dark, gritty world that Sujeeth has created. More importantly, several fans questioned whether the film even needs a conventional love story. Even in the first part, the love story between Pawan Kalyan and Priyanka Mohan was executed poorly and didn’t make much of an impact. Fans feel that OG 2 should focus more on expanding the universe, the action, and the Netaji backstory rather than spending time on another routine romantic subplot.
Pooja Hegde‘s recent career graph has also contributed to the backlash. Despite the viral success of the song Kanimaa from Suriya’s gangster flick Retro, her performance was heavily trolled by many viewers. So, another similar role would only make things more difficult for OG 2. Also, most of her releases over the last 3-4 years have flopped at the box office, making some fans skeptical about her addition to a Pawan Kalyan film when he is already struggling himself.
Now, according to the latest industry buzz, there is no truth to the reports of Pooja Hegde being part of OG 2. In fact, the makers have reportedly not finalized any casting decisions yet, either for the female lead or for other major characters.
Until the makers make an official announcement, fans can breathe easy, and all casting reports should be treated as speculation.
