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.
Mar 03, 2024 15:42 IST
It does not allow its protagonist's ambition to become a weapon in the hands of a society that...
Mon, Mar 04, 2024
Jan 07, 2024 18:23 IST
Violence cannot be an end in itself. There is a before and after which must be reckoned with and...
Mon, Jan 08, 2024
Dec 28, 2023 19:25 IST
The journey of curry — the word, the concept and indeed the food — shows the inadequacy of the...
Fri, Dec 29, 2023
Dec 22, 2023 17:51 IST
From the wrestlers in Delhi to the Kerala film industry — committees, publicity and support have...
Fri, Dec 22, 2023
Dec 07, 2023 11:34 IST
In focusing exclusively on the performance of violence without adequately explaining how any man...
Fri, Dec 08, 2023
Nov 25, 2023 14:00 IST
The film is brave because a mainstream superstar plays an openly queer character and it has the...
Tue, Nov 28, 2023
Nov 18, 2023 15:57 IST
The cloistered life of academia, of ‘ivory towers’ and the ‘life of the mind’, is not one...
Sat, Nov 18, 2023
Nov 07, 2023 18:56 IST
The novel won the Tata Literature Live! Book of the Year Award for Fiction this year and it is also...
Tue, Nov 07, 2023
Oct 07, 2023 11:32 IST
More than the shimmer of her gown, it was the utter self-confidence with which Aishwarya Rai...
Mon, Oct 09, 2023
Sep 24, 2023 21:51 IST
In Firefly Memories, each poem is lit from within, powered by recollections from the vast canvas of...
Sun, Sep 24, 2023
Sep 05, 2023 12:21 IST
Tejashwi Yadav talks about working towards a ‘progressive’ and ‘positive’ politics. To be...
Tue, Sep 05, 2023
Jul 29, 2023 15:33 IST
Every issue O’Connor flagged was, some years later, acknowledged as a real problem: Mental health...
Sun, Jul 30, 2023
Jun 20, 2023 11:58 IST
No amount of devotional fervour can cover a poorly-written and executed film. The audience, not...
Tue, Jun 20, 2023
Jun 13, 2023 18:11 IST
After all, the scene in which Tara screams about the greatness of Hindustan, also shows him...
Tue, Jun 13, 2023
May 29, 2023 19:46 IST
His words did not glorify the vision and vanity projects of one regime. They are not the cringing...
Mon, May 29, 2023
May 06, 2023 19:26 IST
The fictionalised account of a former queen seems more in touch with contemporary sentiments than a...
Sat, May 06, 2023
Mar 14, 2023 03:14 IST
In 2022, Writing with Fire by Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh, which followed the story of Khabar...
Tue, Mar 14, 2023
Mar 13, 2023 11:12 IST
Indian documentaries have been receiving global recognition. But documentary makers in India remain...
Tue, Mar 14, 2023
Mar 05, 2023 12:07 IST
Beyond the silliness of a jalebi’s description on a Pakistani restaurant’s menu are questions...
Sun, Mar 05, 2023
Mar 04, 2023 07:30 IST
Actor Bhavana who returns with a new film, opens up on her struggle and being at the centre of a...
Sun, Mar 05, 2023
Feb 25, 2023 06:01 IST
Vinay Lal’s book traces ideas about the freedom struggle and the nation have on the Indian mind...
Sat, Feb 25, 2023
Feb 16, 2023 19:03 IST
The gory details of their stories, played up to heighten anxieties around love that is unsanctioned...
Thu, Feb 16, 2023
Feb 07, 2023 14:46 IST
With a steady stream of gossip about celebrity guests and “exclusive” images from inside, we...
Wed, Feb 08, 2023
Feb 02, 2023 18:31 IST
Kartiki Gonsalves on her directorial debut, the interdependence of species and why the film is more...
Thu, Feb 02, 2023
Jan 21, 2023 19:46 IST
Pooja Pillai writes: Each little victory matters in the uncertain, halting progress of the fight...
Sat, Jan 21, 2023