Poonacha started her career at the age of 18 by acting inPUC while she was doing her 12th Standard at Christ College, Bangalore. After completing 12th standard, Harshika spent the next two months working as a television anchor by hosting shows like Nimmindha Nimagaagi, Hrudayadinda and Sarigamapa before beginning a professional course. Harshika then joined Cambridge Institute of Technology, Bangalore and completed her Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical. During that time, she took a two-month break from her shooting assignments to attend her classes, complete assignments and prepare for exams. In 2012, she joined MaxproSoftware Company and agreed to work for five days a month while working 21 days in films. She said Getting into films was an accident. I never dreamt of becoming an actress. After PUC, she acted in a Kodava film called Ponnamma, a Konkani film Kazar and a Telugu film Edukondalavada Venkataramana Andaru Bagundali. In 2010, Harshika acted in an important role in Jackie with Puneeth Rajkumar, which catapulted her to an instant celebrity status. She later appeared in Thamassu with Shivrajkumar for which she won the Karnataka State Film Award for Best Supporting Actress, and played Ramya in Nariya Seere Kadha, in which Ravichandran played the lead role. She also acted in a film named Cycle opposite Shivarjun. She played the daughter of a crorepati who gets kidnapped for ransom in the comedy film5 Idiots. In 2013, she first had two releases in a row, Cycle and Ale and her third release Managana Kaili Maanikya opposite Ramesh Aravind, which was her first comedy film, in July. Her two films, B3 a love story directed by Gana Shyam with Srikanth and Adwaitha an action-based film directed by MB Giriraj which has Ajay Rao in the lead, released both on 6 December. She has signed her first Tamil filmAnandha Thollai. She also has a Telugu film titled Panipuri coming up. She also appeared in a video albumHoo Manase. She and her cousin Bhuvaan Ponannaa own a company called Glamgod Fashion and Events and conduct fashion shows and fashion weeks.
Personal life
She was born in Ammathi, Kodagu district of Karnataka and she is the only daughter to her parents. She is a Bachelor of Engineering Graduate. Harshika's cousin Bhuvan Ponnanna is a model, actor and Bigg Boss Kannada 4 contestant.
