Niira Radia: Hello
Ratnam: Yeah, morning Madam.
Niira Radia: haan, haan namaskaaraa
Ratnam: Madam (Rajathiammal, third “wife” of Karunanidhi and mother of DMK MP, Kanimozhi) baat karna chahti hai
Niira Radia: Haan, haan, diijiiye
Ratnam: de duun?
Niira Radia: haan haan, please ok (whispers to someone nearby: Karunanidhi ke ghar se)— call is being transferred (she takes a deep breath: "oh I am so sorry") call connects— Hello how are you?
Rajathiammal: Hello, I am fine, how are you
Niira Radia: I am so sorry, I'm fine, I have not been in touch, I am busy! How are you?
Rajathiammal: Hmmmm fine.
Niira Radia: Yeah, keeping better?
Rajathiammal: ummm
Niira Radia: Good, good, good. How is CM (Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi)
Rajathiammal: (mumbles) aahhh fine fine
Niira Radia: OK. Good, very good. Kani (Kanimozhi), Kani, I met last week, I didn’t meet her this week. Kani is in Chennai?
Rajathiammal: ahh yes.
Niira Radia: She's come back no? How are things? (Rajathi mumbles again) Good. How are things?
Rajathiammal: mumbles something inaudible
Niira Radia: Haan? (silence for sometime)
Rajathiammal: (barely managing to blurt out:) what happened?
Niira Radia: To?
Rajathiammal: aaahh
Niira Radia: Tata?
Rajathiammal: Ah, yes
Niira Radia: Not done?
Rajathiammal: No, not done
Niira Radia: Ratnam there?
Rajathiammal: Yes.
Niira Radia: I will talk, let me speak to him. I thought it was all done
Rajathiammal: (voice low) yes, ummm (hands over to Ratnam)
Niira Radia: Hi Ratnam
Ratnam: Hi Madam
Niira Radia: What happened its not done?
Ratnam: No Madam, it's not done. That's why I just gave you a message, no madam.
Niira Radia: I didn’t get a message.
Ratnam: Madam?
Niira Radia: I got a new mobile, you know I changed my mobile. I thought you got my mobile. You don’t have my new mobile number?
Ratnam: I am talking to you on that mobile only na? Same mobile he (?) also tried no?
Niira Radia: No, no, this is my regular mobile, this is my 107. The other one, my indicom, my indicom
Ratnam: Tata Indicom ... You've changed your mobile ma'm?
Niira Radia: Yeah 0925000
Ratnam: 25000
Niira Radia: 8888
Ratnam: No, this (new number) has not been given to us.
Niira Radia: No, no, I had told Cecilia last week itself. I said please send it.
Ratnam: You know Cecelia is totally ... last one week, has not been in touch.
Niira Radia: No, no, I will tell you why. Her mother, her mother’s is in hospital.
Ratnam: yeah, that I know.
Niira Radia: She’s been very sick. So that’s why Cecilia has been a little problematic.
Ratnam: ummm, ummmm. But you said no, you yourself had done.
Niira Radia: Yeah!
Ratnam: But that has not come. That’s why I sent a message.
Niira Radia: (short silence) I cant believe it, is it?
Ratnam: Yeah madam, yeah madam
Niira Radia: That can’t be possible
Ratnam: No ma'm, it has not come.
Niira Radia: (short silence) What about Tatas? What's happening on that?
Ratnam: Ma'm, Tata everything’s ok, but this rent 50 percent, yesterday I got a mail, that’s why yesterday also I tried you.
Niira Radia: Haan.
Ratnam: This agreement, they say that 50 percent of the rent has to be paid by us. For which I have already sent a mail to Krishna Kumar [Krishna Kumar, Director, Tata Sons, and one of key aides of Ratan Tata, and also Chairman, Tata Realty and Infrastructure Ltd] stating that its not possible. Then I made a call to Krishna Kumar, he did not picked up (sic) and then I called Sanjay Ubhalia (Managing Director, Tata Realty and Infrastructure ltd)
Niira Radia: Haan.
Ratnam: He says that he will take up the issue with Krishna Kumar and sort it out.
Niira Radia: No, but when you were in Bombay, it was agreed that no rent and—
Ratnam: Everything was clearly agreed and Krishna Kumar also said that he will talk to Voltas(a Tata Group company) and he will waive that. But yesterday I tried ten times to call Krishna Kumar and he didn’t pick up, and he was in a meeting it seems.
Niira Radia: No, No yesterday there was a board meeting of Indian Hotels and the annual results were being announced, and also they were in the middle of buying Sea Rock Hotel in Bombay, you know?
Ratnam: Hmmm
Niira Radia: So that’s why it was very difficult to reach him yesterday.
Ratnam: yeah, yeah, that’s why I called you , I wanted to tell you this yesterday.
Niira Radia: No, I will speak to him, ahh Ratnam, I will speak to him Monday, because you know today he is not there, he has gone with the Chairman (Ratan Tata). I hope he hasn’t gone, he was supposed to travel to the US today
Ratnam: Who, mam'?
Niira Radia: Krishna Kumar was supposed to travel to US today.
Ratnam: No ma'm, only one day, Thursday only he come back, na madam?
Niira Radia: No, no, he has gone again. He is going with his Chairman today.
Ratnam: Is it, ma'm? Yeah, yeah, he was scheduled to travel this morning by Air India
Ratnam—oh!
Niira Radia: Let me check, let me check. I will have a word with ma'm. But on the other matter I am surrprised!
Ratnam: Yes, Ma'm, that’s why I am repeatedly calling Cecilia, and that mobile is totally switched off.
Niira Radia: ummmmm ahhhh, let me talk to her. I will talk to her and, you got my other number na?
Ratnam: I got your number, that number is now your....
Niira Radia: Yeah, yeah, do me a favour Ratnam. Give me a missed call on that number from your phone.
Ratnam: yeah, yeah
You don’t have any other phone Ratnam?
Ratnam: I have Madam. Give me a missed call from that number na, which is...
(trails off)
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Transcribed by Dheeraj T and Girish Nikam, and checked by OL. Girish Nikam also provides some context and background to this conversation
