Pooja Hegde has been approached to play the female lead in actor Varun Tej's new movie, Valmiki, say reports. Directed by Harish Shankar, and also featuring Sree Vishnu in a crucial role, Valmiki is loosely inspired by director Karthik Subbaraj's Tamil gangster comedy film, Jigarthanda.

"Pooja and Harish have mutual respect for each other. But she is still debating about giving her nod as the screen time for the female lead in this film is really less. She is keen to do roles that give her an opportunity to showcase her acting potential and have some significance in the story. However, talks are in the nascent stage and it’s too early to comment," says a source.

In the past, Pooja has worked with Varun in Mukunda. She also played the leading lady in the Harish Shankar-directorial DJ.

Produced by Ram Achanta and Gopi Achanta, Valmiki has music by Devi Sri Prasad.