Pooja Hegde: My 30 Million Instagram followers don’t guarantee 30 million ticket sales

As the release date for her upcoming film Retro approaches, actress Pooja Hegde has begun promotions in full swing. The film, starring Suriya and directed by Karthik Subbaraj, is set for a grand theatrical release on May 1, 2025. While speaking to a Telugu media outlet, Pooja offered a refreshingly honest take on the illusion of social media metrics.

“Social media and the real world are two different things completely,” said Pooja. “When I visit Hyderabad or Tirumala, I meet people, and that’s more important to me.” She went on to point out the unreliability of digital platforms, saying, “Social media contains bots who neither have a display picture nor posts in their account. I also get affected by those faceless trolls because I am also a human. But it’s important to realize that it is not the real world.”

In an industry where popularity on social platforms is often seen as a proxy for success, Pooja’s grounded approach stands out. “I have nearly 30 million Insta followers, but that doesn’t guarantee 30 million ticket sales at the box office,” she said. “Likewise, there are many superstars with just 5 million Insta followers, but they are huge crowd-pullers.”

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