India Today Group's Chairman and Editor-in-Chief, Aroon Purie, and Vice Chairperson and Executive Editor-in-Chief Kalli Purie, met the Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow as the Group interviewed him ahead of his India visit.
00:00The leadership of India Today, who were here, who traveled all the way to Moscow.
00:04We are here at the Ekaterina Hall.
00:07This is a historic hall.
00:09President Putin holds his National Council meetings here.
00:12He decorates people here.
00:14And now the decorated members of India Today group, Aachita group, are here.
00:19How did it feel, Kali?
00:21We are on such an adrenaline high, watching the two of you on air in a monitor.
00:26It was just amazing.
00:27You know, you were the two women who interviewed him for the first time.
00:33He hasn't been interviewed by two women anchors, so that's a first.
00:36And I thought that the interview was very global.
00:40And his perspective, we didn't just stick to our own problem of India and relations between India and Russia.
00:46But you widen the perspective on what President Putin brings to the global stage.
00:51And I think that really was a coming out ball, let's say, for an Indian media house.
00:57To be talking about global issues, because why should we be left behind?
01:01We are on the global stage to be taking part and be invited to this high table.
01:06And I think the two of you really did a fantastic job today.
01:09So my Executive Editor-in-Chief Kalipuri, we believe that this is a very big job for us.
01:13We have told you that we have no idea of any questions, no matter what we have, no matter what we have, no matter what we have, no matter what we have, no matter what we have, no matter what we have.
01:21Now we are our Editor-in-Chief Kalipuri.
01:23What was your highlight for you?
01:25Firstly, it was a very important moment for the Indian Drake Group to get this interview.
01:31So I'm really proud of both of you who did the interview and the rest of the team who put it all together.
01:37I think it was a wonderful way, the way the interview was conducted.
01:43Also, for me, seeing Putin, meeting him personally, etc., he's been painted as a kind of villain of the world order in many ways, right?
01:56And the changing world order.
01:59And he came across as somebody who answered every one of your questions.
02:04He didn't duck anything, right?
02:07And that was an experience to see that here is a man who was painted in a certain way, but came across completely differently,
02:17as somebody who would be ready to have his own view of history, his own view of looking at the world.
02:23But he was very clear on what he wanted to say.
02:27And that was a great impression.
02:29A moment of pride, Kali?
02:30I think one of the things was, you know, around any world leader, the team is very strict about protocol
02:38and about the amount of time you can spend with the leader.
02:41And they were very clear that you have 60 minutes.
02:43But because the president was enjoying the conversation so much, he was smiling and he was so charmed,
02:48and he liked the questions, the interview ran for 100 minutes.
02:53And even afterwards, he was very open to engage with us in an informal conversation.
02:58I think that that was a testament to the interviewing ability of the two of you and, of course,
03:04the rest of the team and the entire research that worked behind.
03:07I want to add to this that we were selected amongst all of the Indian channels by the Russian press team.
03:17And they did that because of the impact that the India Today group brings for any big interview.
03:24And I'm very proud of that.
03:25And I think they felt happy that they had made the right choice.
03:27And that, again, is a good sort of way to end the year for us, right?
03:34We're like in December now, 20 days to end the year.
03:38Mr. Puri, I think the most interesting part for me was to see him, see his sense of humor.
03:44That came as a surprise because everybody has always portrayed him as this villain of the West that you've been pointing out.
03:49Or a very serious man.
03:50You asked him a very interesting question as well.
03:52Yes, I asked him, I had the opportunity to talk to him off camera, where I asked him,
03:58you've been a top leader for 25 years, over 25 years of Russia.
04:05And do you have any regrets?
04:07Would you do something any different?
04:09He kind of thought and, you know, kind of armed and awed.
04:13And he said, well, I think he's a man who doesn't want to admit mistakes.
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