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.
Charli XCX ends her Brat era with a South Korean festival performance
Pop star leaves fans emotional with farewell message on stage screen
Teases upcoming A24 film The Moment based on her own concept
Singer shifts focus from music to film after blockbuster success
Charli XCX has officially closed the chapter on her acclaimed Brat era with an emotional final performance at South Korea’s One Universe Festival, where she also teased her next project. The British pop star, who dominated global charts with Brat, used her farewell show to surprise fans with a teaser for her upcoming A24 film The Moment.
Charli XCX confirms her next chapter with upcoming A24 film The Moment Getty Images
What happened at Charli XCX’s final Brat concert?
On 15 August, Charli XCX took the stage in Gwacheon-si for her last headlining performance linked to Brat, the album that turned her from cult favourite to mainstream force. As she wrapped her set, a huge screen behind her displayed the words: “Please don’t let it be over.”
The message struck a chord with fans, who had been following her whirlwind year of success. Shortly after, she posted a clip on Instagram showing a film slate marked The Moment, confirming her move towards cinema.
Why is the Brat era significant in Charli XCX’s career?
Released in June 2024, Brat became Charli’s most successful album to date, peaking at No. 3 on the Billboard 200. Its lime-green cover, hyperpop energy, and cultural reach made it more than just a record. From influencing U.S. political campaigns to dominating TikTok trends, Brat marked a turning point in the perception of experimental pop.
Charli herself admitted she never expected the record’s impact. Speaking earlier this year, she said: “I don’t really feel the pressure because you can never do the same thing twice. My next record will probably be a flop, which I’m down for to be honest.”
What do we know about Charli XCX’s new film The Moment ?
The most talked-about reveal from her farewell concert was her upcoming A24 project The Moment. The film, based on her own concept, signals a bold shift into storytelling on screen. While details remain under wraps, fans online are already speculating about its potential to capture the same disruptive energy that made Brat so influential.
This is not Charli’s first step into acting. She is also set to appear in several upcoming films including I Want Your Sex with Olivia Wilde and Cooper Hoffman, the satire Sacrifice with Chris Evans and Anya Taylor-Joy, and a fantasy adaptation of 100 Nights of Hero.
Charli XCX closes Brat era with final show and teases new film ‘The Moment’Getty Images
What’s next for Charli XCX after Brat ?
With music milestones behind her, Charli XCX is turning her attention to film while still maintaining her reputation as an artist. She recently collaborated with Japanese horror director Takashi Miike for a new project and continues to expand her acting portfolio.
On a personal note, the singer also married The 1975’s drummer George Daniel in London last month. The wedding was a private ceremony at Hackney Town Hall, attended by close friends and family.
Charli XCX and George Daniel’s wedding photos spark a new alt-pop moodboard Instagram/charli_xcx
As she steps into a new creative phase, fans may have to wait before hearing another record, but Charli’s latest pivot suggests she is just as committed to breaking boundaries in cinema as she has been in music.
So, Kajol and Twinkle Khanna’s show, Two Much, is already near its fourth episode. And people keep asking: why do we love watching stars sit on sofas so much? It’s not the gossip. Not really. We’re not paying for the gossip. We’re paying for the glimpse. For the little wobble in a voice, a tiny apology, a family story you recognise. It’s why Simi’s white sofa mattered once, why Karan’s sofa rattled the tabloids, and why Kapil’s stage made everyone feel at home. The chat show isn’t dead. It just keeps changing clothes.
Why Indian audiences can’t stop watching chat shows from Simi Garewal to Karan Johar Instagram/karanjohar/primevideoin/ Youtube Screengrab
Remember the woman in white?
Simi Garewal brought quiet and intimacy. Her Rendezvous with Simi Garewal was all white sets and soft lights, and it felt almost like a church for confessions. She never went full interrogation mode with her guests. Instead, she’d just slowly unravel them, almost like magic. Amitabh Bachchan and Rekha, they all sat on that legendary white sofa, dropping their guard and letting something real slip out, something you’d never stumble across anywhere else. The whole thing was gentle, personal, and almost revolutionary.
Simi Garewal and her iconic white sofa changed the face of Indian talk showsYoutube Screengrab/SimiGarewalOfficial
Then along came Karan Johar
Let’s be honest, Karan Johar changed the game completely. Koffee with Karan was the polar opposite. Where Simi was a whisper, Karan was a roar. His rapid-fire round was a headline machine. Suddenly, it stopped being about struggles or emotions but opinions, little rivalries, and that full-on, shiny Bollywood chaos. He almost spun the film industry into a full-blown high school drama, and honestly? We loved it up.
Kapil Sharma rewired the format again and took the chat show, threw it in a blender with a comedy sketch, and created a monster hit. His genius was in creating a world or what we call his crazy “Shantivan Society” and making the celebrities enter his universe. Suddenly, Shah Rukh Khan was being teased by a fictional, grumpy neighbour and Ranbir Kapoor was taunted by a fictional disappointed ex-girlfriend. Stars were suddenly part of the spectacle, all halos tossed aside. It was chaotic, yes, but delightfully so. The sort of chaos that still passed the family-TV test. For once, these impossibly glamorous faces felt like old friends lounging in your living room.
Kajol and Twinkle’s Amazon show Two Much feels like friends talking to people in their circle, and that matters. What’s wild is, these folks aren’t the stiff, traditional hosts, they’re insiders. The fun ones. The ones who know every secret because, let’s be honest, they were there when the drama started. On a platform like Amazon, they don’t have to play for TRPs or stick to a strict clock. They can just… talk.
People want to peep behind the curtain. Even with Instagram and Reels, there’s value in a longer, live-feeling exchange. It’s maybe the nuance, like an awkward pause, a memory that makes a star human, or a silly joke that lands. OTT gives space for that. Celebs turned hosts, like Twinkle and Kajol in Two Much or peers like Rana Daggubati in Telugu with The Rana Daggubati Show, can ask differently; they make room for stories that feel earned, not engineered.
How have streaming and regional shows changed the game?
Streaming freed chat shows from TRP pressure and ad breaks. You get episodes that breathe. Even regional versions likeThe Rana Daggubati Show, or long-running local weekend programmes, prove this isn’t a Mumbai-only appetite. Viewers want local language and local memories, the same star-curiosity in Kannada, Telugu, or Tamil. That widens the talent pool and the tone.
From White Sofas to OTT Screens How Indian Talk Shows Keep Capturing HeartsiStock
Are shock moments over?
Not really. But people are getting sick of obvious bait. Recent launches lean into warmth and inside jokes rather than feeding headlines. White set, gold couch, or a stage full of noise, it doesn’t matter. You just want to sit there, listen, get pulled into their stories, like a campfire you can’t leave. We watch, just curious, hoping maybe these stars are a little like us. Or maybe we’re hoping we can borrow a bit of their sparkle.
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