Pooja Hegde, born on October 13, 1990, in Mumbai, Maharashtra, is an Indian actress who predominantly appears in Telugu, Hindi, and Tamil films. She began her career as a model and was crowned as the second runner-up at the 2010 I Am She–Miss Universe India pageant.

Pooja Hegde made her acting debut with the Tamil film 'Mugamoodi' in 2012. She had her first Telugu release in 'Oka Laila Kosam' in 2014. Over the years, she has established herself as one of the leading actresses in Telugu cinema.

Her other commercially successful films include 'Duvvada Jagannadham' (2017), 'Maharshi' (2019), 'Gaddalakonda Ganesh' (2019), and 'Housefull 4' (2019). Despite a career setback in 2022 with films like 'Radhe Shyam', 'Beast', 'Acharya', and 'Cirkus', and the 2023 film 'Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan' being poorly received, Pooja continues to be a sought-after actress in multiple film industries.

Pooja Hegde is known for her vibrant lifestyle. She incorporates regular exercise into her routine to boost circulation, promote detoxification, and impart a natural radiance to her skin. She also believes in the mantra "you are what you eat". Pooja is a trained Bharatnatyam dancer and is multilingual, fluent in Telugu, English, Kannada, Tamil, and Hindi. She enjoys dancing, traveling, singing, and reading.

While there have been rumors about Pooja's relationships, she has clarified that she is currently single. She has been linked with Bollywood actor Rohan Mehra and Salman Khan, her co-star in the film 'Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan'. However, she has dismissed these rumors and stated that her career is her priority for now.

Pooja Hegde has worked in several successful movies across different languages. Some of her popular films include 'Oka Laila Kosam' (2014), 'Rangasthalam' (2018), 'Saakshyam' (2018), 'Mukunda' (2014), 'Housefull 4' (2019), 'Most Eligible Bachelor' (2021), 'Cirkus' (2022), 'Beast' (2022), and 'Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan' (2023).

Pooja Hegde has been recognized for her performances with several awards. She won the SIIMA Award for Best Actress – Telugu for her performance in 'Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo' (2020) and 'Most Eligible Bachelor' (2021). She was also nominated for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu for 'Oka Laila Kosam', 'Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo', and 'Aravinda Sametha Veera Raghava' (2018).