Pooja Pillai is a Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, working with the National Editorial and Opinion section. Her work frequently explores the intersection of society, culture and technology....Read More
Pooja Pillai is a Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, working with the National Editorial and Opinion section. Her work frequently explores the intersection of society, culture and technology.
Editorial Focus & Expertise
Pooja’s writing spans several key domains, often blending analytical commentary with cultural critique.
Art & Culture: She writes extensively on cinema, books, and the evolving landscape of arts and entertainment.
Technology & Society: Her work examines the human impact of the gig economy, the rise of AI in creative fields, and the cultural shifts driven by digital platforms.
Food & Lifestyle: She often uses food as a lens to explore history and politics, covering everything from the origins of pantry essentials to the impact of nutrition policy.
Politics: She closely tracks political developments in South and West India and provides commentary on international political transitions, including the shifting landscape of American politics.
Multimedia & Podcasting
Pooja is a prominent voice in the Indian Express’s digital ecosystem. She is the host of 'DeshKaal with Yogendra Yadav', weekly video podcast where she facilitates deep-dive conversations on Indian democracy, social movements, and current political affairs.
Notable Recent Works
Cinema & Identity: “SRK@60: Why Shah Rukh Khan is Bollywood's last, and only, superstar” – an analysis of stardom and the changing face of Indian identity
Global Politics: Commentary on the Trump administration’s misguided “war on woke culture” via typography and analysis of the visual semiotics of Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s attire during successive visits to the White House.
Art & AI: “An unequal music: AI is lowering barriers at the cost of music itself” – a critique of how technology is redefining artistic value.
Professional Presence
Pooja is active on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram, where she shares her latest columns and editorial insights.
Her full archive and latest updates can be found on her Indian Express Author Profile.
Jan 26, 2019 04:51 IST
Excerpts from an interview with Indian Express after the Padma award's announcement on Friday and...
Sat, Jan 26, 2019
Jan 20, 2019 06:00 IST
On the walls of Kangra Arts Promotion Society's gallery in McLeodganj, an airy space with windows...
Sun, Jan 20, 2019
Jan 11, 2019 00:30 IST
As it turns 97, Sabyasachi Mukherjee of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, talks about...
Fri, Jan 11, 2019
Jan 04, 2019 00:09 IST
In Jitish Kallat’s return to painting is a continuation of a long-standing preoccupation: what...
Fri, Jan 04, 2019
Dec 31, 2018 00:25 IST
While #MeToo and repatriation of antiquities were widely discussed, the year also saw several...
Mon, Dec 31, 2018
Dec 29, 2018 00:48 IST
A rich bounty of non-fiction narratives explains a rapidly changing world; the best of fiction...
Sat, Dec 29, 2018
Dec 20, 2018 00:17 IST
The exhibition, which is one of the special projects at the Serendipity Arts Festival 2018, also...
Thu, Dec 20, 2018
Dec 18, 2018 00:08 IST
Sunil Kant Munjal, founder of the Serendipity Arts Foundation, on the third edition of the annual...
Tue, Dec 18, 2018
Dec 15, 2018 04:23 IST
#MeToo: Subodh Gupta called the allegations against him — posted on an anonymously-run Instagram...
Sat, Dec 15, 2018
Dec 05, 2018 00:01 IST
English actor Andy Serkis on his directorial debut Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle, the complexity of...
Wed, Dec 05, 2018
Dec 04, 2018 00:04 IST
As works from her collection go under the hammer, collector and gallerist Amrita Jhaveri talks...
Tue, Dec 04, 2018
Dec 02, 2018 06:00 IST
Author-environmentalist Nagesh Hegde, the 2018 Big Little Book Award winner, on writing for...
Sun, Dec 02, 2018
Nov 25, 2018 06:00 IST
Author Lionel Shriver on creating unattractive characters, being unapologetic about her political...
Sun, Nov 25, 2018
Nov 24, 2018 00:59 IST
Scenes of startling beauty and pathos punctuate this story shortlisted for the Man Booker...
Sat, Nov 24, 2018
Nov 22, 2018 00:06 IST
Jayanta Mahapatra, who was Poet Laureate at the Tata Literature Live! Festival in Mumbai this year,...
Thu, Nov 22, 2018
Nov 18, 2018 05:38 IST
Mahapatra had received Padma Shri in...
Sun, Nov 18, 2018
Nov 17, 2018 00:29 IST
Krishna, who will be singing in the capital Saturday on the invitation of the Delhi government,...
Sun, Nov 18, 2018
Nov 07, 2018 21:39 IST
Confrontations with the inevitability of death shape the works in Yardena Kurulkar’s show in...
Wed, Nov 07, 2018
Oct 29, 2018 00:01 IST
Pioneering German video artist Marcel Odenbach on his collage-like approach to art he creates and...
Mon, Oct 29, 2018
Oct 21, 2018 06:00 IST
A Mumbai exhibition revisits the works of the late modern artist Mohan Samant — the forgotten...
Sun, Oct 21, 2018
Oct 19, 2018 04:02 IST
The allegation, made by an art world professional, was shared on the anonymously-run Instagram...
Fri, Oct 19, 2018
Oct 17, 2018 02:06 IST
In a post on Twitter on Tuesday, Bora accused Das of forcing himself on her when she visited his...
Wed, Oct 17, 2018
Oct 17, 2018 00:19 IST
An exhibition of photographs highlights the urgent crisis of space and resources in Mumbai’s...
Wed, Oct 17, 2018
Oct 10, 2018 02:22 IST
In its third edition, the Seredipity festival aims to break down the silos separating artistic...
Wed, Oct 10, 2018
Oct 02, 2018 00:19 IST
Despite the fact that the Mumbai upper crust’s demographic composition imposes unique...
Tue, Oct 02, 2018