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Pooja Hegde: People haven't fallen out of love with the theatrical experience, they just need a reason to go back

Actor Pooja Hegde, set to share the screen next with Vijay and Varun Dhawan, stresses the film industry's need for engaging content to attract viewers today.

Published on: Oct 15, 2025, 11:35:17 IST
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2025 is turning out to be fruitful for Pooja Hegde. Her performance in Retro opposite Suriya fetched her good reviews, while her special appearance in Rajinikanth’s Coolie too garnered appreciation, apart from big box office numbers.

Pooja Hegde
Pooja Hegde

Today, amid the unpredictable times where big names can’t guarantee a hit, Pooja feels the industry needs to step up. “Yes, it’s definitely more unpredictable than before. But I also think people haven’t fallen out of love with the big-screen experience - they just need a reason to go back. The emotion, scale, and that sense of community is something you can’t really feel sitting at home. When a film promises an experience - whether it’s the story, the music, or just that larger-than-life magic - audiences will show up. Theatres will always have their place; we just have to keep giving them something worth stepping out for,” she explains.

Also read: Monica Bellucci has watched Pooja Hegde's Monica song from Rajinikanth's Coolie; here's what she thought of it

She shares that the day was spent with her family. “I have been travelling between Chennai, Hyderabad and Mumbai, and got to be home after a long time on my birthday!,” she adds.

 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rishabh Suri

Rishabh Suri is an Assistant Editor, film critic, and professional overthinker of plot points. He writes for HT City, keeping pace with an industry where news cycles expire long before the popcorn gets cold. He completed his graduation in English Honours from Kirori Mal College, followed by a Master’s degree in English Literature-effectively training his brain to over-analyse classic texts before applying those exact same skills to 3-hour Bollywood blockbusters. He got into the profession when he had barely graduated from college and has been at HT ever since. At HT, Rishabh reviews films with a simple rule: skip the dense academic jargon and get straight to the point. Beyond reviews, as Assistant Editor, he helps navigate the broader circus of showbiz, tracking everything from OTT shifts to sudden box office panics. In a beat driven by loud PR machinery and carefully scripted answers, Rishabh prefers cutting through the noise to focus on how stories get made and why trends shift. When he isn’t writing against a deadline, he is usually sitting in a dark theater, compulsively memorising dialogues. For Rishabh, analysing movies isn't just a day job- it’s a habit he couldn't turn off even if he tried.

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