Lavanya & Masthan Sai Audio Leak l Raj Tarun

After a considerable hiatus from Telugu cinema, Pooja Hegde appears poised for a strong comeback. Her last full-fledged Telugu film was Acharya (2022), a project she signed back in 2020. Since then, her presence in Tollywood has been limited to a special appearance in F3 and a brief association with Guntur Kaaram (2024), from which she exited in the early stages.

During her time away from Telugu films, Pooja shifted her focus to Tamil and Hindi industries. She appeared alongside Vijay in Beast and signed multiple Tamil projects including Retro, Jana Nayagan, Coolie, and Kanchana 4. In Bollywood, she worked on a few ventures that unfortunately didn’t meet expectations at the box office. Despite the mixed success, her popularity and glam quotient have kept her name afloat in big-banner discussions.

Now, the buzz in the industry suggests that Pooja is in advanced talks for a Telugu romantic drama opposite Dulquer Salmaan. The film, which marks the directorial debut of a newcomer named Ravi, is being bankrolled by Sudhakar Cherukuri’s SLV Cinemas — the banner behind notable films like Dasara and the upcoming Paradise. The script was reportedly locked a while ago but production was delayed due to Dulquer’s packed schedule. With things now moving forward, the team has reportedly approached Pooja, and sources say she has responded positively.

Pooja’s last major hit in Telugu was Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo (2020), a film that solidified her status as a leading actress. However, a series of underwhelming performances in films like Most Eligible Bachelor, Radhe Shyam, and Acharya temporarily slowed her momentum.

Meanwhile, Dulquer Salmaan has been steadily building a strong base in the Telugu market, especially after the success of Sita Ramam and the upcoming buzz around Lucky Baskhar, Kaantha, and Aakasamlo Oka Tara.

While an official announcement is still awaited, the potential pairing of Pooja and Dulquer is already creating a stir. If finalized, this film could mark a much-needed fresh start for Pooja in Tollywood and add another exciting chapter to Dulquer’s rising Telugu career.