Pooja Pillai is an entertainment journalist with Asian Media Group, where she covers cinema, pop culture, internet trends, and the politics of representation. Her work spans interviews, cultural features, and social commentary across digital platforms.
She began her reporting career as a news anchor, scripting and presenting stories for a regional newsroom. With a background in journalism and media studies, she has since built a body of work exploring how entertainment intersects with social and cultural shifts, particularly through a South Indian lens.
She brings both newsroom rigour and narrative curiosity to her work, and believes the best stories don’t just inform — they reveal what we didn’t know we needed to hear.
• Faissal Khan, brother of Aamir Khan, says his family forced him to marry his mother’s cousin after his divorce in 2002 • He alleges Aamir Khan had an affair with British journalist Jessica Hines and fathered her son Jaan • Faissal claims his family branded him mentally ill after he resisted their pressure to marry • He has now cut ties with Aamir Khan and issued a public notice declaring independence • Aamir Khan’s family earlier dismissed Faissal’s statements as “hurtful and misleading”
Bollywood actor Aamir Khan’s brother Faissal Khan has once again stirred controversy with explosive revelations about his strained relationship with the family. Speaking at a recent press interaction, Faissal not only alleged that he was pressured to marry his aunt after his divorce but also revived long-standing rumours about Aamir’s alleged relationship with journalist Jessica Hines.
According to Faissal, the Khan family turned against him after he separated from his wife in 2002, just four months into the marriage. He claimed relatives insisted he marry his mother’s first cousin, a proposal he refused. “My family was pressuring me to marry my aunt. When I refused, my mother and others became angry, and soon after they started calling me mad,” he said, adding that repeated arguments eventually led him to leave the family home.
Faissal’s controversial letter and Jessica Hines claims
Faissal revealed that his fallout deepened after he wrote a letter criticising family member, including his elder sister Nikhat. In the same letter, he alleged that Aamir Khan had an affair with British journalist Jessica Hines and secretly fathered her son Jaan.
The explosive claim reignited decades-old gossip surrounding Aamir’s personal life, though the superstar has never confirmed or denied such reports. Faissal said the letter led his relatives to brand him mentally unstable, worsening his isolation from the family.
Faissal Khan accuses his family of calling him mentally unstable after his refusalInstagram/faissal.khan
How Aamir Khan’s family responded
The Khan household has repeatedly refuted Faissal’s statements. In an earlier joint response signed by Aamir’s ex-wife Reena Datta, his children Junaid and Ira, filmmaker Mansoor Khan, Imran Khan and others, the family said his remarks were “hurtful and misleading.”
They maintained that every decision regarding Faissal’s wellbeing had been made “with love, concern, and medical consultation.”
The rift between Aamir Khan and brother Faissal deepens as shocking family secrets come to lightGetty Images
Cutting ties with the Khans
Last week, Faissal formally announced via Instagram that he had severed all ties with his famous brother and the rest of the family. He declared in a public notice that he would no longer live in Aamir Khan’s residence, accept any allowance, or claim rights to the family estate.
“With a heavy heart yet renewed courage, I wish to share that I have severed all family ties,” Faissal wrote. “This step is essential for my healing and growth. Life now enters a new chapter of freedom, dignity, and self-discovery.”
Romesh admits he’s aware of possible overexposure but says he chooses work based on gut feeling and quality.
He makes his West End debut opposite Sheridan Smith in Alan Ayckbourn’s Woman in Mind.
The play runs at the Duke of York’s Theatre from 9 December to 28 February, then in Sunderland and Glasgow in March.
Romesh will play Bill, the doctor who links Susan’s real and imagined worlds.
He balances television, radio, and stage work by turning down offers he doesn’t think he can do well.
Romesh Ranganathan says he knows the word “overexposure” follows him around and he’s decided it’s a risk worth taking. The comedian, who is making his West End debut, told the BBC he deliberately turns down roles at times but will say yes when a job feels right, putting “overexposure” and the play’s pull, plus the chance to work with Sheridan Smith, at the centre of his decision. This new stage turn comes as Romesh juggles television presenting, radio, and touring stand-up, and it is also his first proper stage role since primary school.
Romesh Ranganathan makes his first West End appearance in Woman in Mind alongside Sheridan Smith Getty Images
What does Romesh mean by overexposure?
He’s not talking theory. He’s talking experience. Romesh openly acknowledges people tell him “you’re on everything,” a phrase he quotes, not hides from. His defence, though, is practical. He asks whether the project is something he’d watch, whether he can do it justice, and yes, whether there’s a fee. That’s his filter. Plain as that.
Romesh portrays Bill the doctor linking Susan’s real and imagined worlds on stage Getty Images
Why take the West End risk with Sheridan Smith?
Because the role felt right. Romesh will play Bill, the doctor connecting Susan’s two worlds, in Alan Ayckbourn’s Woman in Mind. Sheridan Smith leads as Susan, and Romesh says working opposite her is “exciting and intimidating.” He’s honest about nerves; that’s part of the point. He wants the challenge, even if it raises his profile further.
The production runs at the Duke of York’s Theatre in London from 9 December until 28 February, followed by dates at Sunderland Empire and a run at Theatre Royal, Glasgow, in March 2026 (Glasgow 10–14 March; Sunderland 4–7 March). The revival is directed by Michael Longhurst and keeps close to Ayckbourn’s original while offering a fresh staging.
How Romesh is balancing television, radio, and theatre
Romesh fronts shows including Parents Evening and hosts a BBC Radio 2 slot, plus podcasts and tours. He’s selective, he says. He’ll keep doing varied work, including television, radio, and stage, but only when he feels it’s the right fit. If the public tires of him? He joked he might go and work in a café. For now, he’s stepping on stage.
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