Talking to Prateek Sur, Pooja Hegde opens up about how she got the film, how doing a Salman Khan film might lead to better prospects, how she handles working across various film industries, whether there is any north-south divide when it comes to films, her project with Mahesh Babu and lots more. Excerpts from the candid chat:

Working with a superstar like Salman Khan is like the biggest goal of any actor/actress when they join in films. What was your first reaction when you came to know that you’re going to be his heroine? Who was the first person you called and gave the good news to?

Of course, I was very excited. When you do a Salman Khan film you know that it’s going to be watched by everyone and would be watched by masses. As an actor what better thing can you ask for because it goes to the heart of India and that’s something that was very exciting for me. It’s a Telugu character and it was really great for me.

Did you have to audition for the role? Or how did the role come by to your plate? (1:35)

Basically, when Salman Sir had seen ‘Mohenjo-Daro’, he had told me that we will definitely work together on something and we kept saying that yes we should. Then when I joined the films, Sajid Nadiadwala sir was also on board and I just did ‘Housefull 4’ with him and it just all felt into place and sunk in really beautifully.

Being a heroine for Salman Khan obviously leads to greater prospects. Ever since you signed on to be Salman Khan’s heroine, has there been a change in the kind of scripts or projects that are coming your way?

Let’s hope for that (laughs). But at the same time people know me for a while and when it comes to the industry itself. They know me from my Tamil, Telugu films and they have seen my body of work. So, when a film does really well, it does affect you in a big way. So, I am looking forward.

As you’ve worked in south industries extensively and even in Bollywood, what kind of differences do you see in the working culture of the different industries? Do you feel a change when you come to Bollywood?

I genuinely think that there is nothing that is so drastic. It’s just the language that changes and not the people. When you work in a different language, the characteristics of a Telugu girl, the way she behaves would probably be slightly different to a girl who is born and brought up in Bombay. The way she moves, her body, the way she speaks. Also, within Maharashtra, a town girl and a city girl have a different outlook towards life and that affects the way you particularly behave. So, it’s just that and not so much about the industry.

We are living in the era of Pan-Indian films, and you’re one actress who has attained fame in all film industries. What do you have to say about the constantly happening debate about Hindi films vs south films? Is there any divide or is it all just a made-up thing?

What has changed now is that the language isn’t a barrier for anyone to watch content. We are open to understanding the diversity that is there within India. We are accepting that and understanding that. The core emotion is the same and the film works in all languages.

Besides being a Salman Khan heroine, what’s the biggest take away for you from a project like ‘Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan’? Is there some learning that you’ll always remember for life?

There are so many things. Working with Salman Sir, you have to be more of a spontaneous actor, thinking on your feet, thinking fast, and that’s something I have learned.

What next after this are you working on?

You will see me in ‘Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan’ releasing on April 21 and then you will see me in a film that is untitled, it’s with Mahesh Babu and Trivikram Srinivas is the director. We have a couple of more announcements coming up which I am sure once the production house decides to announce we will have a clearer idea on what the film is.