Actor Pooja Hegde is still receiving praise for a film that came out two years ago and is still making waves. The movie Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo, in which she starred alongside actor Allu Arjun, is being recreated in Hindi with actors Kartik Aaryan and Kriti Sanon in the leading roles. “I wish them good luck; it is a very special film for me. I hope more people watch the film,” is what Hegde has to say about this development.

She adds, “On Ala... we wanted to do a fun, happy film. I laughed so much when the director narrated the script to me. I never thought it would go on to become a big hit. I got many awards and appreciation.”

With regards to her upcoming work, the line-up includes Cirkus with actor Ranveer Singh and Bhaijaan starring actor Salman Khan. Ask her if a big star is reason enough for her to sign a film, and she says, “not anymore”. “I feel like I have done enough. There is no linear way to select films. Sometimes, you look at the script, sometimes at the director. At times, the script is okay, but the director is not going to translate it on screen. I have also learned that there are some times when the director makes magic happen on screen but the script is not that good,” shares the actor.

But there are some filmmakers whose names alone are enticing enough for her to say yes. She gushes, “If Rajkumar Hirani calls me, I am not going to ask for the script; same for Sanjay Leela Bhansali and S S Rajamouli.”

The 31-year-old, who is all geared up for next, Radhe Shyam, which has got a new release date now, continues,  “When (filmmaker) Rohit Shetty offered me Cirkus, I never asked him what the film was about. He later told me Ranveer (Singh) was a part of it. I was very excited to work with Rohit since my dad is a big fan of his films.”

Pooja Hegde is amused that her date diary is chock-a-block in the middle of a pandemic. Currently filming Radhe Shyam in Italy, she will kick off the shoot of Rohit Shetty's Cirkus when she returns to the bay next month. "I love Rohit Shetty films. My dad and I watched Simmba together, and we were hooting at Ajay Devgn's entry. I had first met Rohit at Ramoji [Film City] in Hyderabad a few years ago. This offer came my way out of the blue," says Hegde, who will team up with Ranveer Singh, Jacqueline Fernandez and Varun Sharma in the laugh riot.

Given how different the worlds of Shakespeare and Shetty are, one wonders what The Comedy Of Errors looks like when viewed through the filmmaker's lens. "It will be a masala film; it's his version rather than an adaptation. Plus, we have a complimentary dose of Ranveer's energy on set," she laughs.

After making her Bollywood debut with Mohenjo Daro (2016), Hegde went missing from the Hindi film circuit, resurfacing last year with Housefull 4. Ask her how she emerged stronger after the debacle of the Hrithik Roshan-starrer, and she says, "An actor's first film is their show-reel to the world. I was under contract, so I hadn't signed another film during the period. Its failure was heart-breaking. Eventually, South films came along, and work attracted more work. I held off signing Hindi films because I needed a sturdy second movie. I built on the success of Housefull 4, and here I am!"