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Pooja Pillai

Introduction

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.

Articles by Pooja Pillai

👁 pranit more

The Rs 370 biryani joke that wasn’t, and the men who didn’t see the problemSubscriber Only

Jun 12, 2026 17:38 IST

The distressing reality is: A man made a sexual assault joke, another man amplified it, and neither...

Tue, Jun 16, 2026
👁 vinesh phogat

From the Opinions Editor: What we don’t talk about when we talk about sexual violenceSubscriber Only

May 31, 2026 19:36 IST

The measure of a society's response to sexual violence is not simply whether survivors are...

Tue, Jun 02, 2026
👁 vijay1_20260504110805.jpg

Not another MGR: Why Vijay’s landslide victory in Tamil Nadu is differentSubscriber Only

May 04, 2026 16:45 IST

Vijay, who launched TVK two years ago, has no political or administrative experience to back him....

Tue, May 05, 2026
👁 mahavishnu-kerala-1_20260425074457.jpg

A Kerala bhajan group’s refusal to apologise for singing a Christian hymn is the moral clarity we needSubscriber Only

Apr 25, 2026 13:28 IST

Nandagovindam Bhajans, unlike so many others, simply refused the terms of the engagement that...

Sun, Apr 26, 2026
👁 oscars_daaab0

Best of Both Sides: Politics has caught up with the Oscars — and it goes deeper than just the speechesSubscriber Only

Mar 20, 2026 06:15 IST

There is anxiety over US President Donald Trump's attempt to restructure Hollywood through pressure...

Fri, Mar 20, 2026
👁 sunday eye book

Ruhi Tewari’s What Women Want explains how women are driving electoral change in IndiaSubscriber Only

Mar 02, 2026 16:41 IST

In What Women Want, Ruhi Tewari traces the arc of the historic convergence of gender gap in...

Mon, Mar 02, 2026
👁 ai summit

From the Opinions Editor: What do equity and justice mean when it comes to AI?Subscriber Only

Feb 22, 2026 20:14 IST

The question of whose image, history, and knowledge informs AI systems surfaced repeatedly last...

Sun, Feb 22, 2026
👁 oscar

From the Opinions Editor: At a time of narrowing in American politics, Oscars are a reminder that America’s enduring strength lies in its capacity to remain openSubscriber Only

Jan 25, 2026 20:25 IST

The upcoming edition of the Academy Awards may be the most overtly political till date...

Sun, Jan 25, 2026
👁 Opinion5_21st-Jan

To love today is to grieve one day: On the dog’s eye view in ‘Good Boy’Subscriber Only

Jan 19, 2026 15:30 IST

Human children grow up to become adults who understand love as something mutual, fragile and...

Wed, Jan 21, 2026
👁 5 best horror books of 2025

Dare not look away: The 5 best horror books of 2025Subscriber Only

Dec 30, 2025 16:38 IST

From war and genocide to grief and obsession, these stories turn terror into a language for what...

Tue, Jan 13, 2026
👁 Opinion2_30th-Dec

From the Opinions Editor: At year’s end, a moment of despondency, and a reason to hopeSubscriber Only

Dec 28, 2025 18:57 IST

The High Court’s strict textual reading sits uneasily with the spirit of a law that was designed...

Tue, Dec 30, 2025
👁 Dhurandhar_69b798

Aftermath of Dhurandhar shows — space for good-faith criticism in Indian cinema is shrinkingSubscriber Only

Dec 19, 2025 06:55 IST

The power of the box office, public opinion and government backing all but overrode those who...

Sat, Dec 20, 2025
👁 TRUMP20id

Trump administration fights woke culture, this time with fontsSubscriber Only

Dec 13, 2025 08:00 IST

Different typefaces carry their own political charge. Such assumptions are precisely what designers...

Sat, Dec 13, 2025
👁 otp book review

Human algorithm: OTP Please! reveals hidden emotions of our gig economySubscriber Only

Nov 29, 2025 19:08 IST

Through voices from across South Asia, OTP Please! uncovers how buyers, workers, sellers and...

Thu, Dec 11, 2025
👁 Khashoggi

Trump shrugs off Khashoggi’s killing. How very presidential of himSubscriber Only

Nov 19, 2025 19:10 IST

Trump may loudly broadcast his disdain, but many of his predecessors cloaked actions as bad in the...

Thu, Nov 20, 2025
👁 Susan Choi

Flashlight by Susan Choi — a haunting tale of memory, loss, and the shadows of historySubscriber Only

Nov 09, 2025 10:41 IST

Susan Choi’s Flashlight is a multi-generational story where love and history collide under the...

Thu, Nov 13, 2025
👁 Why Shah Rukh Khan is Bollywood’s last, and only, superstar

SRK@60: Why Shah Rukh Khan is Bollywood’s last, and only, superstarSubscriber Only

Nov 01, 2025 18:40 IST

A look at the Delhi boy who dreamed big and became the face of New...

Sat, Nov 01, 2025
👁 world (3)

Who belongs in America? Zohran Mamdani’s openness, J D Vance’s fear-mongering tell the story of a divided nationSubscriber Only

Oct 28, 2025 19:17 IST

Mamdani’s appeal for understanding, Vance’s narrow vision of identity highlight the festering...

Tue, Oct 28, 2025
👁 US (2)

Donald Trump: The President who would be kingSubscriber Only

Oct 19, 2025 17:40 IST

How does anyone even respond to a president who shouts down disagreement with accusations of...

Sun, Oct 19, 2025
👁 jane 7

Jane Goodall’s gift to us: Seeing animals as both kin and mysterySubscriber Only

Oct 04, 2025 14:54 IST

When she showed us that chimpanzees are not only creatures that echo our behaviours, but also...

Sat, Oct 04, 2025
👁 HERE’S TO THE SUNDANCE KID copy

Robert Redford’s legacy: An indie film movement that began at SundanceSubscriber Only

Sep 17, 2025 16:37 IST

His vision, of building a legacy of storytelling, was more than realised at Sundance, which...

Fri, Sep 19, 2025
👁 The long Walk

Walk or die: Stephen King’s The Long Walk feels too real nowSubscriber Only

Sep 12, 2025 12:46 IST

Stephen King’s first novel imagined a dystopian America that sacrifices its youth for spectacle....

Sun, Sep 28, 2025
👁 AI music

An unequal music: AI is lowering barriers at the cost of music itselfSubscriber Only

Sep 09, 2025 12:34 IST

Over the centuries, as the definition of art evolved with new mediums, values and ideas, what...

Tue, Sep 09, 2025
👁 big picture protein intake india (1)

The big protein flex: India’s diet is getting a makeover, but are we doing it right?Subscriber Only

Sep 06, 2025 08:27 IST

Milk, ice cream, kulfi, idli batter, bread, chips and cookies – everything comes with a pinch of...

Fri, Sep 12, 2025
👁 The Margao Fish Market Ahead Of Wholesale Figures

American appetite for shrimps spawned an Indian success story. Now, tariffs threaten to undo it allSubscriber Only

Aug 26, 2025 18:05 IST

As the tariffs go into effect, the vast number of Indian farmers who have come to depend on the...

Wed, Aug 27, 2025
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