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.
After a month of travel, talent rounds, and cultural immersion across Telangana, the 72nd edition of Miss World comes to an end tonight with a grand finale at HITEX Exhibition Centre in Hyderabad. The event brings together 108 participants from around the globe, all aiming for the iconic blue crown.
The stage is set not just for a beauty contest, but a packed evening of performances, special appearances, and high-stakes competition. Hosted by Miss World 2016 Stephanie del Valle and Indian anchor Sachiin Kumbhar, the event will also see Bollywood actors Jacqueline Fernandez and Ishaan Khatter perform live.
The finale follows weeks of preliminary activities, from exploring Telangana’s heritage sites like Charminar, Ramappa Temple, and Yadagirigutta, to taking part in community-focused programmes. This year’s pageant was also used by the Telangana government to spotlight the state as a destination for tourism and investment.
From the original 108, contestants have been grouped by continent: Americas & Caribbean, Africa, Europe, and Asia & Oceania. Ten from each region will move to the quarter-finals. Sixteen of these spots have already been secured through fast-track wins in challenges like Top Model, Multimedia, Head-to-Head, Beauty With a Purpose, Talent, and Sports. Contestants from India, Indonesia, Turkey, Wales, Zambia, Martinique, Estonia, among others, have grabbed these early victories.
The remaining 24 quarter-finalists will be selected based on interviews and jury evaluation. From there, the top five from each continent will be chosen, and then narrowed to a final set of four, one from each region. These four will respond to a final question before one is named Miss World 2025.
Actor Sonu Sood leads the jury and will also receive a humanitarian award for his public service efforts. He will be joined by Sudha Reddy, former Miss England Dr. Karina Turrell, and Miss World Chairperson Julia Morley. Manushi Chhillar, Miss World 2017, will also be making an appearance.
The winner will be crowned by current titleholder Krystyna Pyszková and will later be a guest of honour at Telangana’s State Formation Day event on 2 June. With a prize pool reportedly worth £800,000 (₹8.5 crore) and a crown valued at over £600,000 (₹6 crore), the stakes are high, and the world is watching.
Raj almost wasn’t Indian, Tom Cruise was the idea.
The title? Kirron Kher just threw it out there.
Pigeon scene: Totally SRK winging it. Kajol freaked a little.
Mehendi Laga Ke Rakhna got added last minute. Can you imagine?
Maratha Mandir. Playing. Every day. Since 1995. Fans love it.
You might think you’ve seen it all in DDLJ. Raj, Simran, the songs, yes, we all know them. But there’s a lot behind the camera that most people have no clue about. Some of it was luck. Some of it Shah Rukh Khan just winging it. And some… well, Aditya Chopra being a little crazy. Here’s the stuff nobody really tells you.
How Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge became a Bollywood legend: 10 untold stories Youtube Screengrab
1. Raj almost had a totally different face
Aditya Chopra literally imagined an American guy and an Indian girl and had Tom Cruise in mind. But then his dad, Yash Chopra, stepped in and said, “Nope, Indian boy.” And then the story completely changed. Suddenly, it wasn’t Hollywood, but NRIs, family, love, and all the cultural stuff that actually hits you in the gut.
2. Kirron Kher named the film
That long, unforgettable title? Shah Rukh Khan thought it was clunky. But the rookie director, Aditya, heard it from Kirron Kher and went with his gut. And yes, she got a credit in the opening titles.
3. Script written in a month
Three years of thinking, then all of a sudden, the final script was done in three or four weeks. Can you imagine? The blueprint for the biggest romantic film of the ’90s, completed in less than a month.
4. Accidental magic
That pigeon-feeding scene with Amrish Puri? Totally improvised by Shah Rukh. Even Kajol’s shocked face in Ruk Ja O Dil Deewane was not planned. Aditya kept it a secret to get a real reaction. And it worked big time. Fans don’t even know half the story behind that moment.
5. Director hiding in a car
During the Zurich car ride, Aditya wasn’t just lurking behind the camera. No. He was lying flat in the back of the red convertible, flat out of frame, watching every move. Can you imagine lying like that for hours? Wild.
6. Raj’s leather jacket wasn’t a costume
Raj’s iconic leather jacket? The one every guy copied? Uday Chopra just bought it from a Harley shop in California and cost 400 bucks. Not a big fancy wardrobe magic, it was just a cool jacket he found.
7. Mehendi Laga Ke Rakhnaalmost didn’t happen
That wedding song everyone hums? Almost didn’t exist. It got added at the very last second, borrowed from another Yash Raj project. Imagine weddings without it!
8. Kajol’s towel moment
Kajol wasn’t a fan of that towel scene. She seriously didn’t want to shoot it, but the director insisted. And that white skirt in the song? The director said it looked frumpy. Manish Malhotra, the designer, had to take scissors and cut it shorter on the spot.
9. Shah Rukh’s prophecy
After reading the script, Shah Rukh told Yash Chopra: “This will define my stardom.” And he nailed it. Spot on.
10. The first “making of” documentary
Before YouTube, before making-of reels, they aired a half-hour documentary on Doordarshan.
Chaudhary Baldev Singh Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge Shah Rukh Khan Kajol www.easterneye.biz
24*7- for 365 days
And then there's Maratha Mandir. This old theater in Mumbai. It's still showing the film. Every. Single. Day. For 30 years. Tickets are 50 rupees. Fans go to watch it like a ritual, some book the gallery for birthdays or anniversaries. People even fly in from abroad. Iconic, right?
30 years later, Raj and Simran are on stage in Come Fall in Love – The DDLJ Musical in Manchester. 18 original English songs. Same story. Same magic. New audience. And people are loving it.
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