Winner of Miss India South Glamorous Hair 2010 and Miss India Talented 2009, Pooja Hegde is a beauty queen, model and an actress. Pooja is from Mangalore and is fluent in Kannada, English, Hindi, Tulu and Tamil. She is a trained Bharatnatyam dancer and is an alumnus of MMK College, Mumbai. She made her Kollywood debut opposite Jiiva in the Tamil film "Mugamoodi".

1. Did your college life at MMK influence your career choices in any way?

Not really. Although something I did in college made me get into modeling.

2. What sort of extra-curricular activities were you a part of during college days?

Singing, dancing and personality contests. I was also a part of the college festival committee.

3. Was there any specific teacher/student/friend/individual that inspired you in any way during your college days?

Nope.

4. Would you like to share one (or a few) of your most memorable experiences during college?

The most memorable days where the months that I spent in my college committee organizing college functions. We always had a lot of fun while working.

5. What was your favourite/most worn ensemble during college days?

Our college didn't really allow us to wear shorts and skirts, so jeans it was!

6. Favourite kind of food during college days? (Café/Canteen/Mess/ Restaurant/Street food)

I survived my college days eating Subway and Sandwiches.

7. The movie that most appealed to you during your college days?

I think "Jaane tu ya jaane na".

8. Most played music on your list during those days?

A mix of many songs, actually.

9. What was your favourite book during your college days?

The Harry Potter Series and the Shopaholic Series.

10. You participated in the Miss India (2009-10) pageant. How did that happen?

I took part in a college function and there a Miss India representative spotted me and asked me to participate in the pageant. The next thing I know, I was in the semis and then the finals.

11. You won Femina Miss India Talented in 2009 and Femina Miss India Glamorous Hair in 2010. Tell us more about the competition and what these titles mean to you?

I've loved all the titles given to me but Miss India Talented 2009 is the one I cherish the most, because hair is god given.Talent is something I have worked on.

12. You have also won the I AM SHE Miss Universe Runner up, 2010. Tell us more about this pageant and this title.

It is a preliminary pageant to the Miss Universe competition.

13. Through I AM SHE, you worked with "Bal Asha" which is an orphanage. Could you share a little bit about your experiences there? If there is one specific cause you could dedicate yourself to, what would that be?

Working with Bal Asha was amazing. We managed to raise a good amount of funds for the organization. When I went to Bal Asha I was touched by the stories that they had to share. It is an organization that really wants to help. If there was a cause that I could dedicate myself to, it would have to do with children. I just love children and if there was anything I could do to help them, I would do it.