Programme: ON TWO CHAIRS
Interviewee: Pundi Raghavan, Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of India to the Russian Federation
Interviewer: Karina Orlova
Audio: 5-04-07-On_Two_Chairs-2308.mp3
Karina Orlova: Hello! This is the programme “On 2 Chairs”. My name is Karina Orlova. And we are in the Ambassador’s residence... No, not in his home. But in the Embassy of India in Russia, and we are visiting the Indian Ambassador to the Russian Federation, Pundi Srinivasan Raghavan. Mr. Ambassador! How do you do!
Pundi Srinivasan Raghavan: How do you do! It’s very nice to be with you.
K. Orlova: The Ambassador actually understands Russian and speaks it quite fluently, nevertheless, we will conduct the interview in English. Mr. Ambassador, the first question I have is: Is it true that the Indians never say “no”? Instead of “no”, they use “perhaps”, “I’ll try” and so on?
P. S. Raghavan: Let me give you the short answer first. No. It would not be correct to say that Indians do not say “no” or do not know how to say “no”. However, in India the social customs differ greatly depending on the region of the country. Therefore, in different parts of the country people say “no” in different ways. In some parts of the country people say “no”, by simply offering an alternative. In other parts of the country people say “no” by asking a question. In other places, people just keep silent or smile. And that is how you know that they want to say “no.” And in other places, they say “no” directly.
K. Orlova: Mr. Ambassador, where are you from? From which part of India?
P. S. Raghavan: This is a very difficult question, because my family comes from the south of India. I was born in eastern India, but was educated mostly in the western and northern parts of India. So, I’m not typical for any particular region of India.
K. Orlova: That means that you know how to say “no” in different ways, do you? Silence, a smile and perhaps a firm no.
P. S. Raghavan: Well, I have also lived in various parts of the world, therefore I have learned to take an example from these places too. There is one thing I must say... But in diplomacy, you know, you have to say “no” when you want to say “no”. In diplomacy this is very important. It is wrong to assume that diplomats never say “no”, trying somehow to please, so to speak. If you want to say “no”, you must say “no” so that the other side knows that you are saying “no”.
K. Orlova: Mr. Ambassador, you have surprised me, to be honest, because I had exactly the opposite opinion about diplomacy, and it seemed to me that it is the other way round, a good diplomat is one who knows how to say “no” in such a way that no one has understood it. However, either I am completely mistaken, or maybe these are some old methods of diplomacy, are they?
P. S. Raghavan: What I am trying to say is that we should say ‘no’ pleasantly. You need to say “no” so as to somehow not confront the another person directly. But if the other side in the negotiations leaves without understanding that you are saying “no”, then you create misunderstandings in the future. The other side in the negotiations must always clearly understand whether you want to say “yes” or “no.” Otherwise, you are laying the foundation for misunderstanding.
K. Orlova: As regards things not related to diplomacy, but generally to your everyday life, have you ever not understood what a resident of some other part of India, different to the one you are in, wanted to say to you? In other words, when you have not understood whether it is no or not no.
P. S. Raghavan: It is possible, as I have told you. The culture is different. It is so in different cultural regions of India, between different cultures of India and between other countries. And, therefore, when people leave their country to go to another country, to live there, they need to get a specific education in order to understand the culture of that country. I shall give a very simple example. It would be even clearer if we were on television, rather than on the radio. In southern India, in some parts of India, for example, when people say “yes”, they do not nod their heads, as you do, they shake their head, moving it from side to side. And if you are in the south of India, you will immediately understand that they want to say “yes”. However, if you’re from the north of India, you might think that they are saying “no”. Therefore, such a misunderstanding occurs even in India. You have to understand the customs and culture of the region.
K. Orlova: And what’s more, there is the language of gestures. Is it true that in India you should never touch a person on his head, even if you are ruffling a baby’s hair? I read about it, what is it... some kind of myth?
P. S. Raghavan: I do not know about this problem. And people do touch children’s heads, and in many places it is like a blessing even, just as it is in the West. If someone bows to you, you touch his head. It is a blessing, which an older person gives to a younger one.
K. Orlova: Mr. Ambassador, is it true what is said about the Indians, that they are always in a hurry, but at the same time never manage to be on time? Can you confirm this in particular by using yourself as an example?
P. S. Raghavan: These are all stereotypes. There are different stereotypes for different people. And there are many jokes about people who arrive on time and who are late. One should not treat all Indians alike. That is, there are more than a billion people. And I have already said that there are different cultures, different customs in different parts of the country. But I shall tell you why there arose such a reputation that the Indians do everything slowly or do not do things on time. We are an agricultural country and have lived through a very long period of underdevelopment and poverty. Our peasants have worked in very difficult conditions, very difficult climatic conditions. Therefore, it was difficult to work quickly for long periods of time. It is easy to say that they were lazy. But these were their working conditions. This limited the speed with which they worked. Hence there arose a view that the Indian peasant is lazy, and from there further – that all Indians are lazy. That is how stereotypes arise.
K. Orlova: Mr. Ambassador, then let’s talk not about stereotypes, but about the truth. Did you know that all Indian housewives together own 11 percent of the world’s gold reserves? I do not know how this was calculated, but it is written about everywhere. Including in any publication that gives statistical information about India, its culture and customs... Here’s my question: during the course of their life, how much gold should a man give his wife/woman as a gift? How many kilogrammes?
P. S. Raghavan: The first part is absolutely true. Needless to say, I do not know the statistics on how much gold there is per capita in India, but it is well known that the demand for gold is very high in India. Gold jewellery is considered absolutely necessary in each family. Such gold jewellery is handed down from mother to daughter, to granddaughter, and so on. During a wedding the bride is presented with jewellery. Moreover, gold is considered to be a good form of investment – this is so not only in India, but also in other countries. And if you want your investments to grow, you should keep gold, because you know that the price of gold will rise.
K. Orlova: And how often ... Oh! Excuse me. How often do you give your wife gold jewellery?
P. S. Raghavan:That’s a difficult question, because my wife is not from India. She is now an Indian citizen, but originally she is from Europe.
K. Orlova: But you are from India.
P. S. Raghavan: That is why I have not had to give her any gold.
K. Orlova: Well, I see.
P. S. Raghavan: Apart from our gold wedding rings, which we both have.
K. Orlova: Well, how about your friends, for example, your acquaintances, the Embassy staff? I just wonder how much it really is, physically. How much is it? A sack? Or a ring once a month? Or perhaps a pendant?
P. S. Raghavan: Actually it is not the husband who gives his wife gold. Gold is part of the wedding ceremony. Usually gold is given as jewellery, as a gift. Bracelets, necklaces, rings. Moreover, it is usually given by the bride’s family. It is not the man who gives the woman gold.
K. Orlova:That’s how it is. Please tell me, what is more valuable to women in India: a thin gold ring with a big diamond or a very thick gold bracelet without any gemstones?
P. S. Raghavan: This depends on each individual woman. I prefer a big ring with large diamonds.
K. Orlova: Mr. Ambassador, and anything else...
P. S. Raghavan: Generally, among Indian women, I must say, the bigger the ring the more they value it. Therefore, you can have large diamonds in a thick gold mount.
K. Orlova: Mr. Ambassador, I have also read that at a wedding the bride’s parents often spend more than on her education. I mean that a huge amount of money is spent on the wedding. However, I had a question for you, and still have. Take you for example, seeing that your wife is from Europe, did you organise a lavish wedding yourself? What was your wedding like?
P. S. Raghavan: Firstly, you said that more is spent on the wedding than on education. Yes, indeed, a great deal is spent on the wedding. And it is not necessary to spend so much on education, because education is relatively cheap in India. Therefore, the comparison is, in fact, not very appropriate. But if talking about me personally, I should say that, when we had our wedding, it was very simple. Honestly, I do not think that so much money should be spent on a wedding. However, this is my personal opinion.
K. Orlova: Is it a bad investment?
P. S. Raghavan: Fortunately, my wife agrees with me.
K. Orlova: But, you know, I read that in Bengaluru, I hope I have pronounced it correctly, there was a case when a wedding, which had already been almost completely prepared, was cancelled after the bride’s family had served dinner to the groom’s family, well, some kind of dinner before the wedding, biryani made out of chicken instead of lamb. Despite the fact that biryani is a traditional wedding dish, the wrongly selected meat was regarded as an insult, led to a scuffle and the cancellation of the wedding. Is that really possible? Or has someone just made it up?
P. S. Raghavan: This kind of story is, of course, a gift from God for the Media, because if you have such a story, well, you can, and indeed have a sensation... Yes, perhaps there was such a report. However, it is something that is quite unusual and out of the ordinary. In fact, as far as I understand it, this is how it happened – it was she who said that she would not marry him because the family of this chap had made such a fuss about the dish and meat. Therefore, the girl said that if they create so much trouble before the wedding, how will they treat me after the wedding. That is why, in the end, the wedding was cancelled. However, this happens one in a million times. It is a very unusual case.
K. Orlova: Mr. Ambassador, have you ever worked as a barrister? Are you not educated, by any chance, as a lawyer? That is amazing. Your interpretation has completely changed this story. And it looks like the truth.
P. S. Raghavan: Let me tell you that my education was far from being connected to the Law. I studied physics, electronics and telecommunications.
K. Orlova: Now let’s talk about something else. Again, I have read, whether it be a stereotype or not, that in India if a person works in the public sector, he is considered to be very successful and prestigious. Here you are, who graduated... Let me enumerate. You graduated from St. Stephen’s College of the University of Delhi with a degree in physics. Then from the Indian Institute of Sciences as an electronics and communications engineer. When you had graduated, or had just got into university, did you also want to work namely in the public sector?
P. S. Raghavan: I, in fact, ended up being a diplomat by accident. After finishing my education, I began scientific research work in the field of electronics. I became acquainted with some diplomats and what I heard from them attracted me in general. Well, I had also become acquainted with some of the employees who worked in the administration, in internal administration. We have national competitive examinations for civil servants. They are very competitive examinations, because hundreds of thousands of people take part. I, in fact, took this exam just to see if I would be capable of working in the internal administration. But in my application, as my first choice I put a diplomatic career, and then, so to speak, one in the internal administration. I did this because of an ordinary discussion that I had had with friends. Then when I saw the results of my examination, I found out that I had been selected for a diplomatic career. Then I joined the diplomatic service. It was quite by chance.
K. Orlova: A year after having graduated?
P. S. Raghavan: Well, in general I do not regret it. I am very happy with it.
K. Orlova: And what was the first post that you received in the Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs?
P. S. Raghavan: My first job was in the Embassy of India in Moscow.
K. Orlova: What a surprise!
P. S. Raghavan: I entered the diplomatic service in 1979. We undergo a 2-year training in order to, so to speak, become accustomed to this service. Therefore, my first post, my first job was in 1981 as the third Secretary of the Embassy of India in Moscow. I started in a room, which is located on the first floor here, not far from the place where we are now sitting. Well, in general, it took around 34 years to get to this room.
K. Orlova: Tell me, please, the third secretary, what does he do? Is this is the lowest position? Well, the first rung?
P. S. Raghavan: It is the first diplomatic rank. There are also administrative, and support staff. However, at the diplomatic level, when you become a diplomatic official, this is the first diplomatic post that you are given.
K. Orlova: How has the Embassy changed? As far as I understand it is the same location in Moscow as it was in Soviet times. But has anything been changed inside? Or when you came back, already as Ambassador to Russia, did you see that oh, everything has changed, or oh, everything is exactly the same?
P. S. Raghavan: I can answer both ways. Of course, the interior decoration of the Embassy had greatly improved. But in such a historic building like this, take this room for instance, nothing has changed in it for the past 35 years.
K. Orlova: Well, I think that perhaps the sofas are new and the plasma TV.
P. S. Raghavan: They are all merely ancillary things. In reality, this building, the doors, ceiling... This impressive building is just as it was left.
K. Orlova: But this portrait of Mahatma Gandhi, was it here 34 years ago?
P. S. Raghavan: Probably not. No, these pictures that are here, they, in fact, were not here. Other pictures were hanging here.
K. Orlova: Are you aware that Gandhi is of great importance to the Russian President? Do you remember the quote... the words of Vladimir Putin, who said that...
P. S. Raghavan: Yes, I have heard the words of the President because they were published quite extensively. Yes, this was written about often. Well, he has expressed his respect and admiration for Mahatma Gandhi on repeated occasions.
K. Orlova: Yes, but now, just for our listeners, just in case someone has suddenly forgotten, I shall remind our listeners – Vladimir Putin said that after the death of Mahatma Gandhi, he, Vladimir Putin, had no one else to talk with. This is the programme “On 2 Chairs.” We’re talking and are at the Embassy of India in Moscow. We are talking with the Indian Ambassador. Mr. Ambassador, let’s go back a little bit, to India. I’ve read this interesting fact that in India there is the so-called Gulabi Gang– a group of women who, if asked by other women, beat with brooms those men who treat women badly. The Gulabi Gang numbers 270 thousand women in India. That’s... well, rather a lot. And there is even an article about them in “Wikipedia”. Is there seriously some such organisation in existence that everyone knows about? For example, have you heard about it? And what is it all about?
P. S. Raghavan: This is a group of women who have considered it necessary to make men understand that they must treat women humanely. Of course, they have gained popularity because they dress in a special way, and they also have brooms. But it would be wrong to say that they have beaten men. They have simply tried very hard to get men to understand the rules of conduct. They have tried to persuade and put forth trenchant arguments instead of using sticks and brooms. But when men, so to speak, have been violent, they have, in fact, used brooms very effectively indeed. Well, of course, there are many groups of similar women who do the same, but have not received such fame as this group. But I think that the amount... what 2700 people...
K. Orlova: 270 thousand.
P. S. Raghavan: Ah, yes, 270 thousand people – that’s right. That’s a quarter of a million.
K. Orlova: I want to say that...
P. S. Raghavan: For India, it is not many.
K. Orlova: ... for India, it’s probably not many. Do you know at least one example, perhaps, some family, to which these women would go to protect the rights of other women? Do you know at least one man who has been beaten or scared with a broom?
P. S. Raghavan: It has been reported...
K. Orlova: No, but you personally, do you know of any such examples? Perhaps some of your friends or acquaintances there... No?
P. S. Raghavan: This group is located in a particular part of India. Uttar Pradesh. To the north of Delhi. This is a specific region. It is not throughout India. That’s why, in general, I say that 270 thousand is somewhat unlikely.
K. Orlova: This is the programme “On 2 Chairs.” And we shall continue in a few minutes.
*****
K. Orlova: We are continuing the programme “On 2 Chairs.” My name is Karina Orlova. We are in the Indian Embassy. And the guest of “On 2 Chairs” today is the Indian Ambassador to Russia, Pundi Srinivasan Raghavan. Mr. Ambassador, hello again!
P. S. Raghavan: Hello!
K. Orlova: And now to Indian films. Do you, yourself, like Bollywood films? You probably know that in the Soviet Union, well, second to Soviet films, they were the favourite. I even know an acquaintance of our family, my mother’s friend, she still watches Indian films when they are shown on television, the very same ones, and cries. So how do you, for example, feel about the film “Zita and Gita”? This is an absolute Soviet hit.
P. S. Raghavan: Well, when you tell people that you know the film “Zita and Gita” and that you like this movie, you are in fact telling them about your age. This film belongs to a particular epoch. I know, for example, that Raj Kapoor was very popular in the Soviet Union. However, you probably do not know this. Perhaps only your grandparents knew it. You’ve probably heard of it.
K. Orlova: Yes, I have.
P. S. Raghavan: Bollywood, of course, is a big industry, it is the largest, of course, film industry in the world in the number of films that they release.
K. Orlova: Not Hollywood?
P. S. Raghavan: Hollywood is the biggest from the financial point of view...
K. Orlova: Do you know which film studio is the biggest? Nigeria’s Nollywood.... Yes, Nollywood. From Nigeria. I too was exceedingly surprised when I read about it. I was convinced that Bollywood was the world’s largest film industry, as it were. But it isn’t.
P. S. Raghavan: You should look at the number of viewers. The number of viewers, moviegoers. This is not only India, but also Indians living all over the world. And not only Indians, but also people in other countries, such as Russia. Not only the Indians watch them in Russia. In Germany, there is a twenty-four-hour channel, which shows Bollywood films. Yes, there really is. Which means it is a big industry. Of course, we do not wish to compete with anyone in this. Apart from that, it has become not only a means of entertainment, but also a means of social education, because now Bollywood has far-reaching influence. People are trying to use it to send social signals. Therefore, there is a major genre of Bollywood films that have social significance.
K. Orlova: And do you, yourself, love Bollywood movies? In general, since we are talking about cinematography, which films do you like? I understand.
P. S. Raghavan: I have tried to avoid answering this question, because I do not watch Bollywood films. Of course, I used to watch them earlier, when I was young. But in the last 35-40 years, I have not watched any films at all.
K. Orlova: None whatsoever?
P. S. Raghavan: None at all. I, in fact, do not watch films.
K. Orlova: Nevertheless, I shall still ask you, even though you have not seen it, but an interesting thing happened in India. It was written about in the Russian Media. OK, I found out about it by accident. In December of last year, the Bollywood comedy “PK” was released in India. The film has become the most successful in box-office terms in the history of Bollywood, having earned $65 million in early January. But crowds of protesters demanding the banning of “PK” as defaming India took to the streets of Delhi, Mumbai and other cities. Representatives of religious parties and groups are at the head of the protest. Well, the film is a satire on the Indian society, although made in India with Indian actors, very well-known, by the way, popular ones. But, you, as I understand it, have not seen this film, have you?
P. S. Raghavan: No, I have not seen this film. But my family has seen it. My wife has watched it. I, of course, know about it. So much has been written about it, so much said. But, as I have already said, Bollywood has become such a tool through which social signals are being spread... Sometimes communicating individual points of view, sometimes caricaturing some situation. And, of course, to be sure, when you are talking about a population of one billion 200-300 million, some are bound to be insulted. Well, if you are saying that a few thousand people protested. Well, so what? This is quite understandable. The director wanted to convey a signal. Many agreed with him. Many thought that it was a caricature, although it was intended as a positive signal. But others thought that it was disrespectful.
K. Orlova: Well, let’s take your family, your wife, they watched it. Well, you most likely discussed it with them anyway. So, did they find the film disrespectful to the Indian society?
P. S. Raghavan: My family and I respect the individual’s right to self-expression. And when you want to prove something, you can do it coarsely, or you can do it gently. Therefore, one should not pay attention to that which should be rejected.
K. Orlova: I will now explain, Mr. Ambassador, why I have stuck to the topic of this film “PK”. It is precisely because at the end of 2014, better to say at the beginning of this year, the film “Leviathan” was released in Russia with great difficulty, against which there was... Yes, you know, you heard about it. You have not watched this film. Well, a real slander campaign was organised against this film, moreover, deputies and officials were involved. Well, what do you think, can an artwork disgrace a country as a whole? Not just a group of people. It is clear that there will always be some. Should works of art be banned?
P. S. Raghavan: If something possesses artistic value, it will always cause a serious reaction.
P. S. Raghavan: I think my answer is the same as what I said about the Indian film “PK.” This artist wanted to say something, to send some signal to the audience. Some saw it as a signal that criticises the society or politics, while others simply saw it as an artistic instrument. I shall say the same thing. Thus, if something possesses artistic value, it will always cause a serious reaction on both sides. If it does not cause any feelings, then the artist has not fulfilled his task.
K. Orlova: Mr. Ambassador, then we shall move smoothly on to your travels, as Ambassador, around the world. So, you have worked ... as a diplomat. You have worked in South Africa, Prague, Dublin. Now in Russia. In your opinion, whose mentality is closest to the Indians’? The South Africans, Czechs, Irish or Russians? Where did you feel most comfortable?
P. S. Raghavan: Once again, this is a very difficult question. Generally, if you think about it, people are the same everywhere. Of course, there are different customs. Because, well, it can all be explained by their history and geography. When talking about the mentality of a people, I would prefer to talk about how to interact with people. Well, it was very interesting to interact with all these people. Ireland, the Czech Republic and Russia, that you mentioned, are different, but the Indian people has had close ties with all these countries.
K. Orlova: Yes, yes, of course.
P. S. Raghavan: You know, of course, that our cultural relations with Russia have a centuries-old history. It happens that Indians feel at home in Russia, and Russians feel at home in India. With Czechoslovakia, the Czech Republic, we had the same close relationship when it was part of the Soviet bloc. There were many things that connected India and Czechoslovakia. And if you go to India, you will see a number of industrial enterprises, which were jointly built by the Soviets and Czechoslovakians... Next week a delegation from an Indian enterprise, built jointly by Russian and Czech scientists, will visit us. They are coming to Russia to discuss the issues of modernisation. Then they will go to the Czech Republic for the same reason. We also have a long history and close relations with Ireland... When the British ruled India, the majority of their soldiers, teachers and civil servants were Irish. Perhaps, not the majority, but many. They adapted better to the conditions of life in India than the British did. They did a lot of work in India, and carried out a lot of research on India. The Irish are great friends of India. When you go there, they said, “Ah! You are the Ambassador of India. My grandfather worked in India, or uncle worked in India”. From a personal point of view, I really had a good time when working in all three of these countries. And I’m not just being diplomatic here... Well, of course, working here, in your country, is wonderful for me not because of the cultural affinity. Not only because of that. But also because we share such a broad range of joint activities and relationships. Even when talking about completely different things, it is still very good.
K. Orlova: Mr. Ambassador, but if you take the practical side, for example, out of these four countries, which has the best Indian cuisine, Indian restaurants? Well, for example, it is well known that the best Italian restaurants, of course, outside Italy itself, are in Moscow. Well, those are the informal statistics. And as for Indian restaurants, I think that they are quite good in Ireland. Are they not?
P. S. Raghavan: In London you can find the best Indian restaurants outside India. Well, there are 3 thousand Indian restaurants in London.
K. Orlova: Indeed?
P. S. Raghavan: People talk about Indian restaurants. But in India, there are lots and lots of different kinds of cuisine. Unfortunately, in most cases, when people talk about Indian food, they mean chicken tandoori and such like. This is the cuisine of just one part of northern India. In different parts of the country the cuisine is completely different, other spices, other, so to speak, ingredients are used in cooking. But in London you can find the cuisine from any part of India. In the majority of the countries of the world, when you talk about Moscow, Ireland, the Czech Republic, mostly the cuisine there, in general, is not Indian. It came from the times of the Mughal dynasty that ruled India, the Mughal Empire. It is the cuisine from that time, that region. That is why many believe it to be Indian cuisine. I think that there are 4 or 5 Indian restaurants in Moscow. Perhaps there is southern Indian cuisine in the restaurant “Darbars”, but, in general, it is not Indian cuisine.
K. Orlova: And what is your favourite cuisine? From which part of India is it? What is your favourite dish?
P. S. Raghavan: I have already told you at the beginning that I am from, as it were, different parts of India. But my favourite cuisine – is southern Indian cuisine. This is precisely the cuisine that is preferred by our family. This is the place where we originally came from. It is also healthier, I think, than most other cuisines. There is less fat. But in some parts of India chili pepper is used a lot. These are spicy dishes. That is why in the part, for example, where I come from, it is assumed that you are showing great hospitality if you use more chili. So if your guests are suffering, they have tears running down their faces, then you are showing hospitality. However, we have decided not to show such hospitality.
K. Orlova: Thank you very much. Mr. Ambassador, and what about mangoes. Is it true that this is the national fruit of India? And that there are, growing in your country, several hundred varieties of mango, of which around 30 are edible? Also it is said that every Indian has his own favourite type of mango, and so there are even debates about this question. Is this true?And if so, which is your favourite variety of mango? In Russia, as you know, you can only find the flat Thai mango, the yellow type, as it is called, and some type from Brazil. It is not very tasty.
P. S. Raghavan: Yes, indeed, there are a lot of varieties of mangoes. And many are delicious. I grew up in western India, in the State of Gujarat. There is a wonderful mango there, which is called the “Alphonso”. This is from the region called Balzari, in Kudra. I think this is the most delicious variety of mango. However, many would disagree with me. There is a variety in northern India, called the “Langra”. Many believe this to be the king of the mangoes. Well, in southern India, there are other varieties, which look and taste different.
K. Orlova: And now to the last question. In your biography on the Embassy website, it is stated that you are interested in reading. What do you like reading? Yes. Reading. Who is your favourite Russian writer? I am sure that you have one. And which contemporary Indian writers or classics would you recommend that we should read?
P. S. Raghavan: I have, of course, read many works of Russian literature, but, unfortunately, only in English. This is not a very good way to get to know literature. I am familiar with old and contemporary Russian literature, so to speak. Tolstoy, Gorky, Solzhenitsyn, Nabokov. Many authors. And each, of course, reflects his own society, his time, his epoch. But from a philosophical point of view, the one with most philosophical depth, in my opinion, is Tolstoy, of course. For this depends on essence, not on language. Of course, literature is perceived differently when read in the original language.
K. Orlova: All I know about Indian literature, to my shame, but at least I know something, I have read the book “The White Tiger” by Aravind Adiga, if I have pronounced his name correctly. He, by the way, won the Man Booker Prize in 2008. Have you read it?
P. S. Raghavan: Yes, I have read it.
K. Orlova: All right.
P. S. Raghavan: Instead of you asking me questions, I should ask you a question. Why, out of all the books that are in India, did you choose this one?
K. Orlova: Because I read a literary review about it. And I liked it. It was in a good magazine. I think, even in the magazine “Afisha”, and it was said that the book was good... Yes, yes. The Booker Prize. Yes. In 2008.
P. S. Raghavan: If you want to make people pay attention to you, you have to create caricatures.
P. S. Raghavan: In 2008. It’s the same thing that you said about “PK” and “Leviathan”. Here the author is trying, in very harsh language, to portray the malice which exists in the society. His idea, so to say, is to draw attention to the evil that exists in the Indian society. He does this very harshly, in my opinion. But this is his style. If you want to make people pay attention to you, you have to exaggerate, it is necessary to create caricatures. That’s what I think about it.
K. Orlova: Thank you, Mr. Ambassador. This was the programme “On 2 Chairs.” Our guest was the Indian Ambassador to Russia, Pundi Srinivasan Raghavan. We shall finish here. Thank you very much. Goodbye!
P. S. Raghavan: Thank you.
