Set for a high-profile return after exiting Aaj Tak, Chaudhary’s debut episode pulled over map error.
Mumbai: Veteran journalist Sudhir Chaudhary is set to return to television with a new show titled “Decode with Sudhir Chaudhary” on DD News. The announcement comes just a month after he exited Aaj Tak in March 2025, where he anchored the prime-time show Black & White.
Chaudhary, who earlier served as Editor-in-Chief and CEO of Zee News before joining Aaj Tak in 2022, revealed the new venture via a post on X (formerly Twitter). The show is being produced by his own company, Essprit Productions Private Limited, and aims to address pressing national issues—potentially reshaping discourse on India’s state-run news platform.
However, the show’s launch has already encountered a roadblock. The first episode—submitted for telecast on Wednesday—was pulled from the line up after officials flagged a critical error. A visual in the episode reportedly misrepresented parts of Jammu and Kashmir as Pakistan-occupied territory, violating India’s strict cartographic norms.
Citing national security concerns and statutory mapping guidelines, DD News officials withdrew the episode. Sources confirmed that it did not air as scheduled on Thursday either. “It did not go live on Thursday as well,” said a source close to the matter.
Chaudhary had earlier teased the show on April 8 with a “FINAL COUNTDOWN” post on X, also inviting applications for producers, writers, researchers, graphic designers, and other editorial staff to join Essprit Productions. “We’re building India’s most dynamic news start-up… we want storytellers, disruptors, and change makers,” he wrote.
On May 6, he followed up with another post, stating, “One of the proudest moments of my life — captured in my new promo shot. Working on my new show, this is more than just a career milestone. As a journalist, this is my way of giving back to the country that has given me everything.”
Essprit Productions has already signed a content production deal with Prasar Bharati to deliver 260 episodes annually for DD News. The contract, reportedly valued at Rs 15 crore, marks a significant step in Chaudhary’s career, formalising his return to the news screen.
