Pooja Hegde's Photos From Guntur Kaaram Sets Before Exiting The Film Resurfaces

Mahesh Babu's Guntur Kaaram released in theatres on January 12 as one of the foremost films from the hefty Sankranthi lineup. Though the film underperformed in terms of being a Mahesh Babu starrer, the Trivikram Srinivas directorial, as per a Sacnilk report, still managed to earn ₹126.62 crores domestically with its worldwide collections standing at ₹180.5 crores. The film, which stars Sreeleela as the female lead, was initially supposed to feature Pooja Hegde in the same role.

Pooja Hegde's brief stint on Guntur Kaaram sets

Pooja Hegde had shot a brief segment of Guntur Kaaram prior to bowing out of the project. Pictures from her time on set have now made their way on to the internet. One of the images also features Sreeleela, sharing a candid frame with Pooja and Mahesh Babu. The pictures have got several fans wondering how the film would have shaped up with Pooja in the lead.

Post Pooja's exit, the makers promoted Sreeleela from the second female lead to the main lead. Subsequently, Sreeleela's original role was bagged by Meenakshi Choudhary. Thus, while initially Sreeleela was supposed to essay the role of Raji, she ended up playing the meatier role of Ammu, with Meenakshi taking over the reigns for Raji.

Why did Pooja Hegde drop out of Guntur Kaaram?

The reason behind Pooja Hegde's exit from Guntur Kaaram was no unresolved controversy or spat, but a mere scheduling issue involving dates. The same was clarified by producer Naga Vamsi. The film was initally slated for an August 2023 release, something which got pushed to January 2024. As Pooja could not adjust her dates accordingly, owing to commitments to another Hindi film in the works, she found it best to bow out. 

He said, "We initially aimed for an August release for the film Guntur Karam, but later, we rescheduled it to January 12, 2024. We wanted to proceed with the shooting at a relaxed pace. Concurrently, Pooja Hegde had commitments for another Hindi film, and the dates couldn't be adjusted. So, we had to replace her. Some people made a lot of noise about this decision, which I still find unnecessary."