FACT 01:

In 2009 she appeared in miss India but she was eliminated. After that she appeared in Miss Universe India and became the second Runner-UP in Miss Universe India 2010. She was born and raised in Mumbai, India. Her mother is also a former beauty pageant contestant, and her father is a businessman.

FACT 02:

Her family wanted her name to be Lakshmi as she born on the Lakshmi Pooja Day, but because of her maternal aunt considered it as bit old-fashioned, they changed it to Pooja. She is a fitness enthusiast and follows a strict workout routine to maintain her physique. She is also a trained kickboxer and enjoys playing sports.

FACT 03:

Ashutosh Gowariker’s wife Sunita recommended Pooja Hegde’s name for the film Mohenjo Daro after watching her in an advertisement. Because of her commitment in Mohenjo Daro, Pooja had to reject Mani Ratnam’s tamil movie. She was also nominated for the best actress award for her acting debut film.

FACT 04:

Pooja Hegde knows the Bhagavad Gita by heart and has learnt Sanskrit. Although she is not a religious person, she considers herself as very spiritual. She can fluently speak Tulu, Hindi, Kannada, Tamil, English and a bit Telugu as well.

FACT 05:

Pooja is also a trained Bharatha Natyam Dancer. Pooja Hegde revealed that her mother wasn’t allowed by her father to learn Bharatnatyam so she lived that dream through her. She said that doing the dance form helps her maintain discipline and express her feelings better.