Journalist Rajeev Masand appointed COO at Karan Johar's agency
Film critic and journalist Rajeev Masand has been appointed as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) at filmmaker Karan Johar's new talent management company, Dharma Cornerstone Agency (DCA). Furthermore, Masand has quit journalism to take up the new role, reports claimed. For the unversed, Johar had announced his talent management agency in association with Bunty Sajdeh late last year. Here are more details on this.
Announcing the appointment, the company issued an official statement. It read, "After over two decades of a dynamic career as an astute journalist and renowned film critic, Rajeev Masand now steps in as the COO at Dharma Productions' and Cornerstone's latest venture -- Dharma Cornerstone Agency (sic)." In the statement, the firm lauded Masand for his work in the entertainment industry.
#NewsUpdate - Renowned bollywood film critic @RajeevMasand to step in as COO at Dharma Cornerstone Agency. @DharmaMovies pic.twitter.com/9gzlLDjcLM
— Navrang Ruperi (@NavrangRuperi) January 15, 2021
"He has been heard telling that he's taking a sabbatical from journalism. However, looking at other journalists who quit the field completely when getting into film production and related business, it seems like Rajeev Masand, too, would go the same way (sic)," a source claimed.
In December, Johar had announced the talent management venture Dharma Cornerstone Agency with an aim to "nurture the best, and become an indomitable powerhouse of talent that will drive collaborations and become the benchmark for artist management and representation in the country (sic)." The official statement said that it will be a place where talented artists will get to fulfill their dreams.
Masand had started his career at the age of 16 with The Times of India. He later worked at news organizations such as The Indian Express, Star News and CNN-IBN. A popular film critic, he also writes pieces for some other publications and websites.
While celebrities such as Richa Chadha and film critic Anupama Chopra congratulated Masand for his new role, actor Kangana Ranaut seemed unhappy with his decision. She tweeted, "He (Masand) openly licked mediocre star kids and gave negative reviews to genuinely good films. Even as a journalist, he was always Karan Johar's minion. Good, he left journo facade and joined KJO officially (sic)."
