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.
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has once again touched down in France for the Cannes Film Festival, and this time, as always, her daughter Aaradhya is by her side. The duo was seen arriving at Nice Airport, where they were warmly received. A video of their arrival, now circulating widely online, captures Aishwarya chatting warmly with a greeter who hands a gift to Aaradhya before they head off.
Clad in a navy blue trench coat, Aishwarya kept it simple yet elegant. Aaradhya wore an all-black outfit and seemed at ease, exchanging smiles and laughter during the brief encounter at the airport. Despite recent speculation about whether Aishwarya would attend Cannes this year, especially after a video of her dancing with husband Abhishek Bachchan at a wedding in Mumbai, her airport appearance has laid all doubts to rest.
Fans quickly jumped into action online, sharing excitement over her return to Cannes. Comments ranged from “She is back!” to eager anticipation over her upcoming looks. However, not all responses were glowing, with some commenting on her choice of hairstyle.
Aishwarya is expected to walk the Cannes red carpet on 21 and 22 May, marking her 22nd year at the prestigious event. Her first appearance was in 2002 for the premiere of Devdas, where she made headlines arriving in a traditional gold saree, accompanied by Shah Rukh Khan and director Sanjay Leela Bhansali.
As for Aaradhya, her presence at Cannes is no surprise. Aishwarya has often said that her daughter enjoys the experience, not just for the glamour but for the atmosphere and the people she’s grown familiar with over the years. She once shared that Aaradhya understands the significance of the festival and appreciates the world of cinema.
— (@)
This year’s Cannes also sees other Indian names on the guest list, including Payal Kapadia on the competition jury, and stars like Janhvi Kapoor, Ishaan Khatter, and Vishal Jethwa promoting their film Homebound. Meanwhile, the restored version of Satyajit Ray’s Aranyer Din Ratri brings legends like Sharmila Tagore and Simi Garewal back to the spotlight.
With Aishwarya back on the red carpet, the countdown to her Cannes look has officially begun.
Saif Ali Khan's hospital trip was a mess, from a sleepy attendant to insisting on a stretcher.
He just ignored everyone telling him to use a wheelchair when it was time to leave.
His own mother, Sharmila Tagore, is still annoyed he did not listen to her.
A chilling detail: his son Jeh was nicked by the knife too during the chaos.
Right, so Saif Ali Khan is talking about the knife attack now. He is actually talking about it. He is filling in the blanks from that night at his Bandra home, the one that ended with him in surgery. And he is explaining that moment he left the hospital, no wheelchair, no ambulance, just walking. It was a conscious choice after the knife attack, his way of saying he was still on his feet.
Saif Ali Khan says he wanted to walk out of hospital to show fans he was fine Instagram/saifalikhanpataudiworld
What exactly went down that night?
He saw the man standing over Jeh’s bed, armed. During the struggle, the assailant’s knife even nicked his young son Jeh. The attacker managed to stab Saif six times before fleeing.
Saif Ali Khan opens up about the night he was stabbed and his shocking hospital decisionInstagram/saifalikhanpataudiworld
Why did Saif Ali Khan deny a wheelchair after the attack?
The hospital scene was weirdly placid and almost sleepy especially the emergency area. He knew the second he walked in, he would require a stretcher. But the attendant on duty just offered a wheelchair. He had to argue, “No, I think I need a stretcher.” The guy was not really getting it. In the end, Saif said he had to snap the guy to attention by stating his name and calling it a medical emergency. That is when everything kicked off.
That initial refusal of aid, bizarrely, set the tone. Later, after a week in hospital and surgery, he was again faced with the wheelchair question for his discharge. “It just did not seem to be necessary.” He could move, though in pain. So why would he pretend otherwise?
Here is the thing: everyone had an opinion. Someone said to take an ambulance, and another insisted on the wheelchair. The media was camped outside, curious and waiting. His own instinct cut through the noise. He figured, why feed the panic? Why have his family, his fans, seeing him wheeled out or driven away in an ambulance?
He decided the right message was the simplest one: just walk out. Show them you are upright and okay. It was a picture message, literally.
Of course, the plan backfired a bit online, with some calling the whole thing fake. His mother, Sharmila Tagore, certainly thought he had made a mistake, telling Twinkle Khanna that if he had just listened to her and used the wheelchair, “there would have been no controversy.” But for Saif, the intention was only to reassure.
By clicking the 'Subscribe’, you agree to receive our newsletter, marketing communications and industry
partners/sponsors sharing promotional product information via email and print communication from Garavi Gujarat
Publications Ltd and subsidiaries. You have the right to withdraw your consent at any time by clicking the
unsubscribe link in our emails. We will use your email address to personalize our communications and send you
relevant offers. Your data will be stored up to 30 days after unsubscribing.
Contact us at data@amg.biz to see how we manage and store your data.