The comments, which have not been independently verified, refer to alleged inappropriate behaviour by a male co-star during a big pan-India film.
According to these accounts, the Jana Nayagan actor spoke about the incident while reflecting on one of her earliest major projects.
Trade experts call Pooja Hegde’s ‘interview’ fake
Industry expert Ramesh Bala addressed the Pooja Hegde ‘interview’ which has been going viral. He shared a post on X (formerly Twitter), and wrote, “Rumor Check: The so-called interview attributed to #PoojaHegde going around is 100% fake. Don’t share misleading content!” Take a look at the post:
Why is Pooja Hegde in the news?
Pooja Hegde is the talk of the town after several portals carried an interview quoting her, in which she allegedly called out a “star hero” and recalled an untoward incident that occurred in the early days of her career. “I was extremely excited when I got that film. It felt like a big opportunity and gave me a lot of confidence,” she was quoted as saying in multiple reports, without attributing a confirmed source.
In the viral reports, Pooja is said to have reportedly described an incident during the shoot where the male lead allegedly entered her caravan without permission and behaved inappropriately. “A few years ago, while working on a big pan-Indian film, a star hero entered my caravan without permission and tried to touch me inappropriately,” she is reported to have said.
The reports also alleged that Pooja admitted she was mentally disturbed and unsure how to react at first, especially since she was still finding her footing in the industry. “I immediately slapped him. After that incident, he never worked with me again,” Pooja was claimed to have said, adding that the male actor left her caravan immediately after the confrontation.
Following the episode, Pooja told the filmmakers that she did not want to share screen space with the co-star again, she was quoted again. Her remaining portions in the film were said to have been completed using a body double. “I decided I wouldn’t tolerate that kind of behaviour,” the reports further said. Though several big names are floating on the web, the identity of the actor wasn’t revealed.
Pooja Hegde hasn’t yet commented on the reports.