Sudhir Chaudhary is one of India’s most prominent television journalists, known for his sharp news analysis, bold opinions and decades-long career in broadcast media. He has been at the forefront of Indian journalism’s evolution and its many controversies.

In this episode of the ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, Sudhir Chaudhary opens up like never before, on the TRP-driven state of TV news, the pressure anchors face from political and corporate forces and the criticism that comes with being one of the highest-paid figures in Indian media.

He speaks candidly about the ‘nano chip’ controversy, fake news allegations, the Naveen Jindal sting case and how every court eventually gave him a clean chit. Sudhir also reflects on his journey, his mistakes, what he’s learned from them and why he joined DD News after working at Zee News and Aaj Tak.

*Timestamps*

00:00 – Introduction

01:20 – Is Sudhir Chaudhary the Highest-Paid Anchor?

02:44 – TRP vs Reality in News Channels

08:16 – Debates vs Real News Reporting

09:46 – Editorial Freedom & Connecting with Viewers

16:38 – Evolution of News Anchoring

19:03 – Journalism Ethics in War Reporting

21:53 – Challenges as a Ground Reporter

24:38 – Misinformation During Op Sindoor

27:11 – Rs 2000 Notes 'Nano Chip' Controversy

30:14 – Uma Khurana TV ‘Sting’ Operation

37:05 – Naveen Jindal ‘Extortion’ Case

55:07 – Trolls, Labels & Comeback

59:42 – Newsroom Politics Before 2014

1:11:04 – Politics & Professional Boundaries

1:17:30 – The Red Tie Selfie with Trump

1:21:40 – Organic Reach on Social Media

1:23:49 – Career Moves & Running Own Show

1:32:45 – Indian Work Culture & Values

1:36:20 – YouTube Journalism vs Traditional Media

1:41:26 – Deepfake Threats to Journalists

1:45:10 – Working in Private Channels vs Public Broadcasting

1:50:23 – Sudhir Chaudhary Making a Film?

1:53:00 – Hollywood vs Bollywood Storytelling

1:58:08 – Staying Real in Media Spotlight

2:06:22 – Friendships in Media World