Vijay, Lawrence, DQ: Pooja Hegde’s Last Shot?

Following the failure of Retro, Pooja Hegde is all set to return with Vijay’s final film Jana Nayagan and it is scheduled for a worldwide theatrical release on January 9th.

Even though Pooja Hegde was part of some solid projects last year such as Suriya’s Retro, an item number in Rajinikanth’s Coolie and the Bollywood film Deva, none of them ended up as a successful venture and her performances went unnoticed.

However, 2026 seems to be a promising year for the actress, because following Vijay’s Jana Nayagan, Raghava Lawrence’s horror-comedy film Kanchana 4 and Dulquer Salmaan’s D41 are also in her lineup.

Now, the major question is whether 2026 will give her the much needed breakthrough. For the last few years, she has been struggling to deliver success and no project has helped her acquire momentum. She even tried an item number in the star studded Coolie, but due to the negative reception and trolls following the film’s release, the spotlight she gained through Monica also faded.

Nevertheless, following the announcement of her current lineup, many industry trackers believe that if even one of these films clicks, Pooja Hegde will reclaim her throne and also suggest that she has a strong chance of becoming a top actress in Kollywood, as she is slowly shifting her focus to Kollywood by starring as the female lead in major star-driven films.

With such a solid lineup this year, it remains to be seen how these three films perform upon their release and whether Pooja Hegde can finally regain solid momentum in her career this year.