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.
The much-anticipated sequel to Lucifer (2019), L2: Empuraan, has arrived, riding on sky-high expectations. Directed by Prithviraj Sukumaran and starring Mohanlal, the film promised to push Malayalam cinema to international standards. But does it live up to the hype? Critics and audiences are divided.
Empuraan expands the Lucifer universe, diving into the past of Mohanlal’s Stephen Nedumpally AKA Khureshi Ab’raam while fleshing out Zayed Masood, played by Prithviraj Sukumaran. The film juggles global crime networks with Kerala’s political chaos, but many critics argue that the constant back-and-forth weakens the storytelling. According to some, the first half builds intrigue, but slow pacing and excessive exposition take away from its impact. Some reviewers appreciated the effort to deepen the narrative, while others felt it lost the crispness of the original.
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Mohanlal commands attention whenever he appears, delivering the gravitas and aura expected from his role. However, much like in Lucifer, he is used sparingly, making his presence felt but leaving us wanting more of him in the movie. Meanwhile, Prithviraj takes centre stage as Zayed Masood, with a backstory that, while compelling, slows down the momentum of the present-day events. Tovino Thomas as Jatin Ramdas and Manju Warrier as Priyadarshini add to the drama, with Manju getting a meatier role this time. Some appreciated Manju Warrier's expanded role, while others wished her character had even more to do.
No one can faultEmpuraan for its technical finesse. Sujith Vaassudev’s cinematography delivers breathtaking visuals, and we can clearly say it’s a step ahead of what we expected in terms of the visuals. Deepak Dev’s score enhances certain moments beautifully. But some critics feel the film leans too much on spectacle, especially with the long slow-motion sequences, elaborate world-building, and stretched-out action scenes that could have been crisper with tighter editing. Others, however, feel the grandeur is justified, elevating Malayalam cinema to a global scale.
Social media reactions, however, reflect the split verdict. While many fans hail the grand production values and Mohanlal’s magnetic screen presence, others argue that Empuraan prioritises style over substance. Some feel the film lacks the strong emotional core that made Lucifer stand out, while others were left underwhelmed by what they see as a predictable revenge plot. A few critics also noted that the film sets up more for future instalments rather than delivering a fully rounded story on its own.
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L2: Empuraan is ambitious and visually stunning, a never-seen-before spectacle, but does it pack the punch of a great sequel? While it delivers a thrilling ride for fans of the franchise, it feels more like a stepping stone to something bigger rather than a fully satisfying standalone experience. Whether it was worth the wait depends on what you value more: style or storytelling. However, despite its storytelling flaws, the film remains a grand theatrical spectacle best experienced on the big screen with all its cinematic flair.
The actress defended her claim that acting demands more than desk jobs in a recent interview.
She said office workers can "chill out" during work hours, unlike film stars.
Fans and working professionals called her comments privileged and out of touch.
The backlash started after her appearance on Amazon Prime's Two Much with Kajol & Twinkle.
Critics pointed out the financial gap and support systems actors have compared to regular employees.
Kajol probably didn't expect this reaction when she sat down with Twinkle Khanna on Two Much. But her comments about actors working harder than people with 9-to-5 jobs have blown up, and not in a good way.
Fans slam Kajol after she says actors work harder than regular employees sparking online outrage Getty Images
The comments that started it all
Kajol was speaking out about her earlier comments on Two Much with Kajol & Twinkle on Amazon Prime, where she said actors work harder than most people. This time she was explaining why she thinks that.
She told The Hollywood Reporter India that her days are full of shoots, events, and very early flights. One day involved waking at 5 AM to catch a flight to Jaipur for a 3 PM event.
But it was her take on regular jobs that got people talking. She claimed desk workers don't need to be "100% present" and can take breaks, "chill out," and relax while working. She kept coming back to the unending scrutiny actors face like the feeling of always being watched or something as simple as how you cross your legs or who's snapping a picture in the background becomes a constant calculation. You have to be switched on, she insisted, all the time.
The internet, frankly, was having none of it. YouTube and Reddit exploded with responses. "For the kind of remuneration actors are paid, they shouldn't have a problem working 12 hours a day for 4 days a week," one user wrote. Another pointed out that films typically take 3-4 months to shoot, while regular jobs run year-round.
The responses got more pointed. "Vanity mein naps or massages bhi toh hum lete hain," a Reddit user commented, referencing the comfort of vanity vans. Someone else joked: "If you work poorly, you get fired. If you act poorly, you get a Filmfare award."
The bluntest response yet? "Respectfully, Kajol, shut up."
Nobody denies acting is demanding. Long hours, public pressure, and constant judgement are very real. But comparing it to regular employment ignores some major differences.
Most people work 12 months a year with two weeks' holiday if they're lucky. They don't have spot boys fetching drinks or vanity vans for rest breaks. One netizen nailed it: "A working parent's schedule is continuous, every single day, with no wrap-up party or off-season."
Online erupts as Kajol defends claim that acting demands more than everyday 9-to-5 workGetty Images
There's also the money. While her fee for a single film is probably more than most people earn in a year, she says that doesn’t make the work easy. Still, it does provide a comfort that regular employees don’t have. Kajol has not yet replied to the backlash.
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