When a dynamic filmmaker known for punchlines, pop culture instincts, and blockbuster entertainment suddenly walks into a newsroom, you know one thing for certain — business as usual is officially over.
In a move that has already sparked industry curiosity, Raaj Shaandilyaa — the man behind crowd-pleasers like Dream Girl, Dream Girl 2 and Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video — has joined News India 24×7 as Vice Chairman. And if his first statements are anything to go by, he isn’t here merely to “run” a news channel. He’s here to reinvent how news feels.
Yes, feels.
…Because according to Raaj Shaandilyaa, today’s audiences don’t just consume information anymore — they consume energy, presentation, visual storytelling, pace, and emotion. And honestly? He may not be wrong.
Enter: The Director Who Understands the Indian Audience
Long before he became a successful filmmaker, Raaj Shaandilyaa spent years understanding the pulse of mainstream India — what makes audiences laugh, pause, react, share, and emotionally connect. It’s this mass-connect sensibility that transformed him into one of Bollywood’s most commercially aware storytellers.
Now, he wants to bring that instinct into media.
Speaking exclusively to TheGlitz, Raaj explained that his decision to join News India 24×7 came from a larger creative vision. “I joined News India 24×7 because my goal was not just to present news, but to expose media in a completely new and creative way,” he shared.
And perhaps that sentence alone explains why this appointment feels far more interesting than a standard corporate leadership announcement.
TheGlitz Says: The Era of “Static News” May Be Over
Let’s be honest — most news channels today look and sound painfully similar. The same aggressive debates. The same flashing graphics. The same exhausting urgency. Somewhere along the way, news stopped evolving visually while audiences evolved dramatically.
Raaj Shaandilyaa appears determined to challenge exactly that.
His vision for News India 24×7 involves rethinking presentation styles, introducing fresher formats, discovering new faces, and creating content that feels immersive rather than mechanical. He wants news to carry emotion, rhythm, visual identity, and a stronger human connection.
“My aim is to give media a new identity where news is not limited to information alone, but becomes a powerful visual and creative experience,” he told TheGlitz.
And in an age ruled by reels, short attention spans, OTT aesthetics, and creator-led storytelling, this shift feels remarkably timely.
A Filmmaker in the Newsroom? That Might Actually Work
Interestingly, some of the strongest media disruptors globally have emerged not from traditional journalism backgrounds, but from entertainment, storytelling, and digital culture. Because modern audiences no longer separate information from experience.
They want engagement.
They want sharp pacing.
They want storytelling.
And Raaj Shaandilyaa has spent years mastering exactly that.
Whether through comedy, satire, romance, or mass entertainers, his work has consistently demonstrated a strong understanding of audience psychology — something television media desperately needs today.
The move also signals News India 24×7’s ambition to reposition itself within a rapidly changing media ecosystem where attention is currency and presentation matters almost as much as the content itself.
Reinventing News for the Scroll Generation
The real challenge, of course, lies ahead.
Can cinematic storytelling coexist with journalistic credibility?
Can news become visually engaging without becoming performative?
Can creativity elevate news without diluting seriousness?
Raaj Shaandilyaa seems ready to explore that balancing act.
And perhaps that’s precisely why this development feels exciting.
Because whether you agree with his approach or not, one thing is undeniable — he understands modern audiences. He understands how India watches. More importantly, he understands how India remembers.
And in a content-saturated world where audiences scroll past almost everything, maybe the future of news really does belong to those who know how to hold attention without losing authenticity.
One thing is certain: the newsroom just got a lot more cinematic.
Get smarter responses, upload files and images, and more.
Log in
