Actor Pooja Hegde went viral on Tuesday after she referred to the 2020 Telugu film, Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo, as a "Tamil film" during a recent interview. The 2020 Allu Arjun starrer, directed by Trivikram Srinivas, was a major success in Telugu.

Speaking to ANI during promotions for her recent Hindi film Deva, Hegde said, “Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo is actually a Tamil film; it was not a pan-India film. But people watched it in Hindi. So, if the work is good, it will reach people.” As soon as a video of Pooja’s interview surfaced on social media, Telugu film fans reacted strongly and criticised the actor.

Pooja Hegde, who gained prominence in Telugu cinema, has recently taken on more projects outside the industry. Her upcoming films include Tamil projects Jana Nayagan and Retro, while she currently has no Telugu films lined up. While some believe her remark was an error, others argue that referring to a widely recognised Telugu blockbuster as a Tamil film is misleading.