Radia: Hi Shrini.
Shrini: Hi Niira!
Radia: Hi Hi Hi...
Shrini: Back in Delhi or ?
Radia: Back in Delhi. Back in Delhi...
Shrini: Ok, you were on vacation?
Radia: Uh. Ya. I went to Vaishno Devi.
Srini: Vaishno Devi, ok (overlap)
Radia: Aa.. I got back uhh... early this morning. (Giggles) (Sniff).
Shrini: Ok. There was aaa this aa issue on society which aa
Radia: Huh...
Shrini:...Nitabhabhi wanted a conference call.
Radia: I had a word with Manoj. He briefly got through to me yesterday.
Srini: Ok.
Radia: You see, I have a, I, I have a view which is, did we when we agreed with Shobaa De...I mean I don't know because we didn't -
Shrini: No, we didn't agree with Shobhaa De. I'll explain to you.
Radia: Uh huh!
Shrini: See, uh...what had happened was aa the lady who is the editor, Ruchika Malhotra...
Radia: Hm mm
Shrini: Ok... she had become a mother and she had a two month old aa son...
Radia: Hmm.
Shrini: So because of that she was operating out of Delhi.
Radia: Hmm.
Shrini: Normally she would do those interviews but this time when she had asked Shobhaa De to do it.
Radia: Hmmm.
Shrini: Ok? And aa Shobhaa De thought it was her material and she had put it up on her blog...
Radia: Hm.
Shrini: ...the unedited version
Radia: Hmmm...
Shrini: Ok? Aaa...between the two of us we had aaa got an edited version to be posted in aa 'Society', in aa, 'Hello!'...
Radia: 'Hello!', ya, ya ya...
Shrini: Ok. Aa.. but the unedited one went on the blog, which we knew that had gone on the blog, because I had pointed out immediately saying the unedited version she had put it up on her blog, and her blog I can't do anything...
Radia: Shobhaa?
Shrini: Haan.
Radia: No, the point I'm making is that your agreement was with Hello! Magazine and not with Shobhaa De...
Shrini: No, it wasn't with Shobhaa De.
Radia: Right? And therefore Hello! Magazine is responsible that the any interview that is done
Shrini: Hm.
Radia: Based...is remains with Hello! and doesn't get put out anywhere else? It is not Shobhaa De's propriety, no?
Shrini: Hmmif .
Radia: Am I right? I mean, the agreement, if I was to look at today, whenever you do anything, if the agreement is between you and Hello! magazine, who they nominate to do that interview is entirely up to them.
Shrini: Correct. Huh.
Radia: And therefore the onus falls on Hello! magazine.
Shrini: Hm.
Radia: And it was for Hello! magazine to make sure that she has to take the blog off.
Shrini: Hmm.
Radia: That's the first thing. The second this is...
Shrini: See, see, then we should have actually taken this stance when Shobhaa De put it out on her blog saying it's not your personal propriety your asked for, it's Hello! magazine.
Radia: How long ago was it...?
Shrini: Two months ago.
Radia: Shrini, it's the first time I'm hearing it went up on the blog...
Shrini: No, no Manoj is aware two months ago it went on the blog. Immediately after it went on the blog...
Radia: Huh..
Shrini: Nitabhabhi had told all of us, why don't you guys meet up with Society, because Society is one place where i'm aa very aa concerned that they would do something nasty.
Radia: Huh...
Shrini:Ok? And she's upset cause apparently the meeting was scheduled with Society....
Radia: Hmm...
Shrini: And aa then aa the person was invited, to the.. to our new formed office and they didn't meet.
Radia: Hmm...
Shrini: So she says, that would have cheezed them off that that's why they did aa nasty one pager.
Radia: No, why didn't we meet, any idea?
Shrini: No, idea, seriously no idea. I mean I wasn't even aware that we didn't meet (Radia clearing throat) until yesterday. That is what aa she is... what she is very upset about.
Radia: Hm. And what has come in Society, please tell me, what exactly has come. Its the entire article?
Shrini: No, I haven't seen. No see, what they've done is uncredited... uncut, edited version apparently, they said aa, why is this aa been aa, why has this been aa edited, (voices in the background) why has this been edited? So, those kind of things is what they've put. Let me get a copy of Society, yesterday I tried in the news stand next to my house, I didn't get it.
Radia: Hm.
Shrini: I'll try and get it from here.
Radia: Ok. Now there are two things as far as Society's concerned, which is what I told Manoj Warrier, yesterday, was very briefly when I got through to him, was, Society, you know, that Tina Ambani and Nari Hira have a different relationship and there is a financial relationship in place.
Shrini: Hm.
Radia: Are you aware of that, I don't know whether you are aware of that?
Shrini: No, I'm not aware of that. No, I'm not aware.
Radia: Ya, but there is for a fact, atleast for a fact that I understand that there is a financial relationship, why he needs the financial relationship I do not know, but unfortunately this is how they've been working and they have a very good understanding.
Shrini: Hm.
Radia: So I had indicated to Manoj, that whenever you approach Society, you have to, you cannot just go and tell them I'll to give you two ads because it's not going to work.
Shrini: Hm.
Radia: Are we prepared to engage with Society in a different manner? MidDay is totally under control, so you don't need to worry Shrini, because on Midday one is able to use their own relationships and particularly the relationships of the ones that we have through TATAs.
Shrini: Ok. Hm.
Radia: So, (clears throat) we also need to have some currency to go out there in the market and and have the relationship when it comes to a Reliance which is why I've been talking to MDA for the presentation and moving forward in a proactive way...
Shrini: Hm.
Radia:...because, (clears throat) you are sitting there just pushing negative stuff, or trying to block stuff and in exchange we're not giving them any other new stories
Shrini: Hm.
Radia: You know at the end of the day the media also works on certain...certain basis...so..
Shrini: Ok. See I'll tell you... see see
Radia: Uh huh..
Shrini: What's her point, where she's coming from is...
Radia: Um mm
Shrini: Saying, ok fine, I asked you to do a aaa story in aa Bombay times on that school, which is not possible. Manoj took a call rightly or wrongly saying that if he's not sure that he's going to get a good prominent place he doesn't want to do that.
Radia: Hmm.
Shrini: Right? So, uhm, he says, I'm not getting any positive stories but atleast, I mean, negative stories can't be blocked, especially when I've told, saying Society I'm worried and a meeting was fixed and you guys didn't meet. She's coming from that angle. She's very upset on the fact that, I mean, she had pointed out twice, thrice, the meeting was fixed and you guys still didn't meet.
Radia: Hmm. (Sigh). Ok. Let me have a word with him. You want to give me aa aa aa ten fifteen minutes to speak to Manoj first and then you want to connect a call or how do you want to do that?
Shrini: Well, I think you should speak to Manoj first.
Radia: Ya
Shrini: Fifteen minutes, twenty minutes is ok.
Radia: Ya. And then you'll connect me on (ends abruptly)