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(Phone rings)

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Venu: Hello?
Niira: Venu, hi, sorry.

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V: <i> Nahin, aise hi phone kiya</i> (I called just like that), I just uh...
N: Good discussion?

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V: Yeah, Rohini's story has been put up at least as a lead big display on the ET.com, I don't know whether you saw it.
N: I know, I was told, but what about tomorrow, in print?

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V: Tomorrow, I am not sure you know, because uh...I've not checked, I'll check with TK, but she's...but this is already having its impact, she's already got a call from Ravi Sodi, wanting to meet her (laughs).

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N: I know, I know. I wanted to ask you, do you think that now - I think that Manoj has met - is meeting editors. Does he really need to meet people like Soma and Jaiswan and all of them, no need, <i>na</i>?

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V: Uh..
N: Why you wanna do that, at this stage? What do you think, just advise...?

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V: You see, I mean...I mean, if he has enough, actually these guys, they know what the issues are, you know, in the sense, if he has time he can do it, uh...because that Chalsani and all they keep talking to these people, no...

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N: Okay, okay...

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V: So...but PMS Prasad talks to Soma regularly, <i>na</i>?

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N: I know he does, he talks to her all the time. Just wondering...coz I've got this sort of one hour in between tomorrow, but it'll only be an hour, but so -
V: Yeah, yeah.

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N: I should -

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V: Actually uh, PMS uh is quite uh sort of this thing uh...with -
N: With Soma.
V: Yeah, has uh quite a...intellectual influence over Soma, you know (chuckles)?
N: Yes yes, I noticed that.

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N: Maybe I'll leave it for this time. We'll see it another time. But uh, it'd be interesting to see.

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N: What was TK's reaction of the meeting?
V: TK's uh...you know, TK of course was uh, he was happy to get a full background of the whole thing and he uh...generally he...I mean he's uh, what should I say, he's ideologically convinced that there is uh... there's this lots of stuff in the elder brother and the younger brother is (inaudible), you know.

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N: Correct, correct, yeah, that's true.

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V: Yeah...you know that's uh, you know these are very...what Manoj Modi was saying, it's a very convincing argument that after they split how much he has invested and how much has he been able to invest.
N: Absolutely, yeah yeah.

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N: It's all there, I mean, yeah.
V: And in real assets, you know? These are all there for people to see, <i>na,</i> problem <i>kya hai</i> (What's the problem)?

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N: Correct, correct. Absolutely.

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V: And I don't think this Manoj Modi was playing an underdog,...<i>na, ki humara toh kuch hai nahin</i> (that I don't have anything), he's obviously (chuckles), I mean I could see through his bit of acting, you know.
N: Hmm, hmm.

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V: That we don't have you know, any, and you know we're not so good at managing the environment -
N: No but they, Venu, they have given up a lot of that, you know, I've seen it myself. Last 10 months, I myself have seen how much they're doing, you know?

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V: Yeah.
(Inaudible, both speaking at the same time.)
V: - Terrible decisions they took. One they got that some Ranbaxy fellow as their communication head, you know. Paresh Chowdhary. He was a disaster.

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N: <i>Haan, usko toh nikaal diya tha, haan</i> (Oh yes, they fired him.)
V: They made such...they made some terrible mistakes you know.

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N: Hmm hmm hmm, <i>chalo</i>, let's hope I can work further, I hope I'm doing alright so far (chuckles), I'm trying.

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V: <i>Nahin, </i> absolutely, I mean, I think uh...at least, the media perception is that after you took charge there is a fight, you know?

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(They laugh)

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V: And this is Rahul's perception, I mean, the - ...'coz everybody's perception is after you've taken charge, there's a solid you know, you're giving a solid, you know -
N: Yeah, they'd be sitting ducks, no, otherwise?

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V: Even they feel that...even the Anil Ambani side, they... I mean, they're in awe of you, you know, they know that you, you know,...that you're giving them a you know, solid uh -

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N: Sudeep Gurumurthy, Javed and all have also been saying all sorts of nonsense. Sudeep Gurumurthy has been looking for me, he wants to meet me. And he I mean, I don't know why, but I'll meet him, in the coming weeks -

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V: Huh? Yeah, yeah.

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V: But what is this Gurumurthy's thing? I mean, I...
N: No no, he is completely (inaudible).

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V: So I've never tracked these TV journalists, 'cause frankly I have no respect for TV journalsits.

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N: I've seen him on CNBC and I know how he has been, so -
V: Yeah yeah yeah yeah.
N: Completely on this (inaudible).

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V: Yeah, yeah yeah.
N: (mutters)

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V: Actually the...Niira between  you and me, Javed and all ...he...these people look for you know, uh ...people look at Rahul, they look at which way Rahul's bias works. And between you and me, so far, to me also Rahul has shown a very clear bias, you know?
N: Yeah, I know that, yeah.

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V: For that uh...one day I told Rahul, I said your friend Amitabh, he said no no, he's not a friend, he became very defensive.
N: Yeah yeah.
V: So actually they are very close you know.
N: Yeah, yeah.

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V: And uh, so I also in between I put him on the defensive saying I believe Amitabh (chuckles, inaudible) good friend of yours.
N: Yeah yeah.
V: Just as he tries to put me on the defensive.
N: (Inaudible).

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V: You know, he also Niira, from time to time, <i>haan haan, tumhara toh wahan bada dost hai wahan pe</i> (oh you have a high-up friend there), You are seen as you know, uh...sympathetic to MDA. So then I also gave, throw one at him, you know. (chuckles)
N: Correct, correct, correct.
V: So you know. Uh....

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N: Yeah, maybe Rahul should stick to television and handover print to you guys.

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V: Huh?
N: I said they should change, if they had any sense.

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V: No no but he, between you and me, Rahul is quite fed up of TV, he wants to come back to print. I mean, he...he's dying because of handover television to (inaudible)
N: Hmm, hmm.

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V: Because he's had a harrowing time, you know. Because it's not his medium. He doesn't understand TV, <i>na</i>, so, and he's been spending 14 hours a day there, you know, all kinds of things.

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N: When are you coming to Bombay?
V: I'll come to Bombay sometime, you know, maybe 10-15 days from now I'll come.
N: Let me know, 'coz MDA will be there then now you need to meet, Manoj was saying today after you guys left, so...
V: Yeah.

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N: We need to organise that meeting between you and Mukesh and all that.
V: How was he?
N: He was very pleased, he was very pleased to meet you. He said you guys, intellectually at least you really had a very good discussion.

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V: Yeah, I see, when I told him no, when I told him that this...freedom to market which the Parliament reply says it's...actually subject to the larger policy. So he said you hit the nail on the head, that is the main issue, you know?
N: Correct, absolutely.

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V: Yeah, today, by the way I just wanted to tell you,...today Rohini Singh took Andy Mukherjee to uh...Digvijay Singh. So because I, because Digvijay is quite tally with ET, I'd invited him for lunch to our office about three four weeks ago, before the election, about 5 weeks ago. And then I told Rohini  you go and meet him, I mean, she's trying to build some contact <i>yaar</i>, So, so they were...so Andy and Rohini were talking about the Gas issue so they told Rohini and Andy, he says I've ready Venu's piece, he's summed it up, you know. He's the most succinct person (chuckles) the most effective sum up of the issue.

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V: And he talked about the Taj Mahal the line, you know. How can Taj Mahal be divided, you know? Appropriated by you know, some third parties, you know?

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N: Hmm, hmm.

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V: So my sense is, so she came up with the feeling, and even Andy, that Congress party is solidly uh...you know, uh, behind uh -
N: - Mukesh.
V: Is solidly against -
N: - ADA.
V: Ya.

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V: Basically, out of self-interest also, no?
N: Correct, correct, correct.

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V: So these are -

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N: - I think, I think she's, I think basically the leadership on the top is very clear on this national asset issue...Iron ore and all that, I can see that, yeah.

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V: Yeah, that's why I brought in all those things, <i>na</i>, spectrum, this, that. And you know, I'm telling you they...you must meet MKN on this. MKN is also working on some sort of uh, resource, how to sort of look at national policy on resources and all. I think somebody should straight away meet PM on this, you know, Ratan Tata and all these people -

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N: I think Ratan would probably do that.

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V: And you know, he should know, he should now kick off a larger debate on how should we look at resources, you know. How should we avoid these kind of stupdi ridiculous litigations, you know.

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N: Hmm, maybe Ratan will do that, absolutely.

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V: That's what needs to be done, you know.
N: But thanks today for coming, I appreciate it so much.

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V: Yeah yeah, thanks.

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N: I'll try and see what Manoj says about Soma and then and whether he wants to and then we'll see whether I need to call them tomorrow and take it from there.

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V: Yeah.
N: Yeah, but we'll meet when -
V: Yeah we'll meet.
N: Thanks so much.

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V: Your in Delhi for a couple of days, <i>na</i>?
N: Till Friday.
(Tape ends)

