Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; March 19, 2018)

Putting the debacle of Hrithik Roshan starrer Mohenjo Daro (2016) behind her, Pooja Hegde has bagged a bilingual — Hindi and Telugu — opposite South superstar Prabhas. With the shoot of Saaho delayed, the untitled project is likely to be Prabhas’s next to hit screens after Baahubali 2 (2017).

Hegde says there was “no question of not going ahead with a film like this.” “The director [Radha Krishna Kumar] and producers [Vamsi Krishna and U Pramod] came to me for the narration. It’s a thorough entertainer,” she says, adding that she is yet to meet her co-star.

Post the mammoth success of the Baahubali franchise, Prabhas’s larger-than-life persona could make newbies uncomfortable. But Hegde says her excitement overrides her anxiety. “For me, it was intimidating to work with Hrithik as well. But I managed that fine. I don’t look at this film as something that should intimidate me. It’s an opportunity to prove myself. Prabhas has done that already, it’s my turn now. “

The bilingual, which rolls in July, marks her second film in Hindi. Though it has been almost two years since her first Hindi film, the actor says she “never let it become a confidence issue. The reviews didn’t slam me. I was praised for my screen presence. Whether a film does well or not, is not in my hands.”