ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash EP-383 | ‘Omnipresent’ Rajeev Shukla: Politics, Cricket, Bollywood & Power Corridors
Jan 25, 2026
Rajeev Shukla, veteran journalist-turned-politician and long-time cricket administrator, reflects on his decades-long journey across politics, cricket and Bollywood. He recounts early journalism in Kanpur, building cross-party ties, managing India’s cricket tours, tackling match-fixing and fostering cricket diplomacy. Playful anecdotes about film stars and meetings with world leaders add color.
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Known As 'Everyone's Friend'
- Rajeev Shukla describes being known as “everyone's friend” and maintaining cross-party relationships in Delhi's power corridors.
- He traces this to personal practice and belief that politics once allowed cordial ties across ideological lines.
Print Era Ethics Shaped Access
- Shukla contrasts print-era journalistic ethics with modern media, noting off-the-record norms used to be respected.
- He argues politics and journalism have changed as society and media technology evolved.
From Journalist To Ministerial Insider
- Shukla recounts travelling with prime ministers as a journalist and later working with Manmohan Singh when he became PM.
- He recalls close observation of leadership styles that shaped his political transition.