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.
Pooja Hegde learns Monica Bellucci “loved” her dance number Monica from Rajinikanth-starrer Coolie.
The song, directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, has crossed 21 million views across languages.
Hegde calls it one of the toughest shoots of her career, filmed under extreme heat.
Coolie releases on 14 August in multiple languages, featuring Rajinikanth, Nagarjuna, Shruti Haasan, and Aamir Khan.
Pooja Hegde has received what she calls the “biggest compliment” of her career after Italian screen legend Monica Bellucci praised her performance in the Tamil film Coolie’s high-energy dance number Monica. The track, which has been trending since its release, makes a lyrical reference to Bellucci and has now caught the attention of the actress herself.
In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, host Anupama Chopra told Hegde that Monica had been played for Bellucci at the Cannes Film Festival through her friend Mélita Toscan, and that the star “loved it.” The news left Hegde beaming.
Pooja Hegde says Monica Bellucci loving Coolie song written about her is the biggest compliment she’s receivedGetty Images
How Monica Bellucci reacted to Coolie’s song Monica
Reacting to the revelation, Pooja Hegde said, “Oh, really? Wow. That’s the biggest compliment ever. I’ve always admired Monica Bellucci. She’s unique in her style, voice, and presence; she never had to overdo anything. I’m so glad she liked it.”
Hegde credited fans for helping the song reach Bellucci, noting that Tamil movie lovers had been actively tagging the actress on Instagram, urging her to watch the track. “A lot of people were commenting on her posts asking her to see the Coolie song,” she added.
Directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, Coolie features a special dance sequence with Pooja Hegde and Soubin Shahir set in a busy port location, complete with cargo ships and dozens of background dancers. Composed by Anirudh Ravichander, with lyrics by Vishnu Edavan and vocals by Sublahshini and Asal Kolaar, the song quickly shot up YouTube charts, surpassing 21 million combined views within 24 hours.
The Tamil version leads with over 15 million views, while the Telugu and Hindi versions have also drawn significant attention. Hegde’s glamorous screen presence and the song’s infectious rhythm have made it one of the most talked-about musical moments of the year in Tamil cinema.
Pooja Hegde on filming one of her most challenging songs
While the end result looks effortless, Hegde revealed that shooting Monica was physically demanding. “It was one of the toughest songs of my career,” she wrote on Instagram. “We were battling extreme heat, humidity, dust, sunburn, and blisters, all while keeping the energy high and making it look glamorous. It was my first big dance shoot after a ligament tear, so I gave it everything.”
She also thanked the dance team for supporting her during the exhausting shoot, which coincided with Mahashivratri while she was fasting. “Special shout out to the dancers who stood by me and gave me energy through it all,” she said.
Produced by Sun Pictures, Coolie is set to hit theatres on 14 August in Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, and Kannada. The film stars Rajinikanth in the lead, with Akkineni Nagarjuna, Upendra, Sathyaraj, Soubin Shahir, and Shruti Haasan in key roles. A major highlight is Aamir Khan’s first-ever role in a Tamil film, playing a character named Dahaa.
Although fans speculated that Coolie might be part of Lokesh Kanagaraj’s interconnected cinematic universe, the director has confirmed it is a standalone story. Cinematography is by Girish Gangadharan, with editing by Philomin Raj.
With Bellucci’s seal of approval, star power, and a release timed for the Independence Day weekend, Coolie is shaping up to be one of 2025’s biggest box office events.
A 19th-century painting in Wiesbaden sees a massive visitor surge.
Fans spotted a direct link to the opening shot of The Fate of Ophelia.
Museum staff were completely caught off guard by the 'Swiftie' invasion.
They are now planning special tours to capitalise on the unexpected fame.
The question on everyone's mind: did Taylor Swift visit this place herself?
It is not every day a quiet German museum gets caught in a pop culture hurricane. But that is exactly what has happened at Museum Wiesbaden, where a painting of Shakespeare’s Ophelia has become a pilgrimage site. The reason? Taylor Swift’s latest music video for The Fate of Ophelia kicks off with a scene that looks ripped straight from their gallery wall. Suddenly, they have queues of fans where usually there is just quiet contemplation.
The Ophelia painting that Swifties say inspired The Fate of Ophelia becomes an overnight sensation Instagram/taylorswift
How did this Ophelia painting become so popular?
To be honest, it was simply hanging there. Friedrich Heyser’s work from about 1900. It is lovely, sure, but it was not a headline act. Then the video drops. And you see it immediately in the pose, the white dress, and the water lilies. It is practically a direct copy or, let us say, an homage. Fans on social media connected the dots in hours. Now the museum cannot believe its luck. Visitor numbers went from a few dozen admirers to hundreds, just over one weekend, like a whole new crowd for a century-old painting.
What has the museum said about the surprise attention?
They are thrilled, but a bit stunned. A spokesperson said it was a "shock" and they are having an "absolute Ophelia run." Can you blame them? One minute you are managing a classical collection, the next you are at the centre of a global fan phenomenon. They tried to reach Swift’s team, but they had no luck there. But they have leaned into it completely. Now they are organising a special "Ophelia reception" with guided tours. Smart move, right? It is a perfect storm of high art and pop star power, and they are riding the wave.
The big question: did Taylor Swift actually visit?
This is the real mystery, is not it? How did this specific painting, in this specific German museum, end up as the template for a mega-budget video? The staff are wondering the same thing. She was in Germany for the Eras tour last July. Did she slip in, incognito? Did a location scout send a photo? The museum thinks they would have noticed if Taylor Swift was wandering their halls. Who knows? It is the sort of stuff that feeds fan speculation for years. Whatever the facts, the painting's life has been irreversibly altered.
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