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’s return to the Cannes red carpet in 2025 wasn’t just about fashion, but a mix of poise, heritage, and a small moment of real-life awkwardness that she turned into grace.
For her second red carpet appearance this year, Aishwarya arrived in a dramatic black gown paired with an ivory Banarasi brocade cape. The cape, handwoven in Varanasi, bore a powerful Sanskrit verse from the Bhagavad Gita. It was a rare and classy mix of traditional craftsmanship meeting high fashion, with spiritual thought stitched into the very fabric.
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But red carpets aren’t always smooth. While posing with Helen Mirren and Cara Delevingne, Helen accidentally stepped on the flowing cape, causing it to slip slightly from Aishwarya’s shoulder. Cameras captured the moment, one that could have easily become a wardrobe mishap. Instead, Aishwarya responded with calm. A soft alert to Helen, a smile, a quick adjustment, and she was back in pose as if nothing had happened. Helen apologised immediately, and the two moved on with mutual respect and warm gestures.
The dress itself, titled Heiress of Clam by designer Gaurav Gupta, was no ordinary outfit. It shimmered with silver, gold, and charcoal accents meant to reflect a cosmic design. Embellished with micro-crystals, the gown caught light like stardust. Aishwarya’s makeup was minimal and powerful, with classic red lips, soft waves, and a dewy glow that added to the timeless feel.
Aishwarya Rai’s cosmic black gown glows under Cannes lightsInstagram/gauravguptaofficial
The highlight, however, wasn’t just the sparkle or the silhouette, it was the message on the cape: “You have a right to perform your actions, but not to the results.” That choice in fact rooted her red carpet moment in something deeper than surface glamour.
Fans on social media couldn’t get enough, praising her style, grace, and the way she navigated the cape incident. Some joked that Helen cleared the way for Aishwarya’s look to shine; others called her the true “red carpet queen.”
In a festival filled with international stars, Aishwarya managed to leave a mark that wasn’t just about fashion but also about dignity, culture, and quiet strength. After nearly two decades of representing India at Cannes, she continues to do it in her own way: unapologetically, beautifully, and on her own terms.
Nobody saw Charli XCX coming during Role Model’s Saturday Night Live slot. She just walked on stage.
Her choice of a Max's Kansas City t-shirt immediately set fan theories alight.
Swifties linked the top to Taylor Swift’s fiancé, NFL star Travis Kelce.
It turns out, the whole thing was far simpler because she grabbed the shirt from Role Model himself.
A simple t-shirt choice during a surprise cameo has sent the pop world into a spin. Charli XCX appeared on Saturday Night Live this weekend, joining musical guest Role Model for his performance, and fans are convinced her outfit contained a pointed message for Taylor Swift. The British singer’s Max’s Kansas City top, seen during the broadcast, is being widely interpreted as a new chapter in their rumoured feud, following pointed lyrics on both of their latest records.
Fans think Charli XCX trolled Taylor Swift with Kansas City shirt during surprise SNL cameo Instagram/rolemodel
What happened during the SNL performance?
The moment happened during Role Model’s set. As he sang his track Sally, When the Wine Runs Out, he called out for his ‘Sally’. On cue, Charli XCX emerged through the stage doors to a roar from the crowd, dancing through the bridge of the song. She was in full brat mode, no surprise there. A black leather skirt, those boots, the tights. But the beat-up band shirt she had borrowed? That is what did it.
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So, why is the internet losing its collective mind over a t-shirt?
Well, if you are deep in the pop gossip sphere, it makes perfect sense. Taylor Swift’s whole world lately seems to include Kansas City, thanks to her fiancé Travis Kelce playing for the Chiefs. So, when you see ‘Kansas City’ printed across Charli’s chest right after all this feud chatter? It does not look like a coincidence. It looks like a shot.
Social media lit up instantly, with fans calling the move "the tea" and calling the situation "actually romantic," a direct nod to the song from Swift’s new album The Life of a Showgirl that many believe is about Charli.
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So was the shirt really a jab at Taylor Swift?
Not according to the facts. Role Model, whose real name is Tucker Pillsbury, quickly clarified on his Instagram Story that Charli had simply borrowed the shirt from him. He had worn the very same Max’s Kansas City top, a reference to a famed New York nightclub, not the Missouri city, in promotional material for the episode. His own sophomore album is titled Kansas Anymore, making the shirt a piece of his own branding. Despite this explanation, the visual symbolism in the heat of the rumoured feud was simply too powerful for fans to ignore.
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