And We’re Rolling — Season Two, Episode with Elizabeth Puranam
Interview Transcript
Steph Hunt:
Liz, I’m so happy to see your face. This is wonderful — finally getting the chance to chat with you.
Elizabeth Puranam:
Yeah, I’ve been really looking forward to it too. It’s so nice to see you.
Steph:
It’s the highlight of my day.
You’re in Delhi — what time is it? Tell me about your day.
Elizabeth:
It’s two o’clock on a Saturday afternoon in Delhi, in spring — which is the best time of year to be here.
A lot of people know Delhi for its terrible air pollution, but spring is just beautiful.
This morning, like most mornings when I can, my husband Alex and I went to Lodhi Gardens.
It’s one of the most beautiful parks in the world, filled with Mughal ruins that are hundreds of years old.
We try to get there for sunrise — around quarter past six. That’s our ritual.
We try to do something active and peaceful for ourselves before the day starts, because living in India can be such a grind. The mornings are the most peaceful.
If we can get that time to ourselves, we can get through the day.
Steph:
I’ve been loving your Instagram stories — yoga scenes, Alex running with monkeys crossing the path…
Elizabeth:
(Laughs)
That’s one of the best things about living here — when the monkeys aren’t causing chaos.
So much of India was jungle habitat before urbanisation, so in many ways we’re living in their home.
But yes, seeing monkeys every day still feels joyful.
Actually, during the first nationwide lockdown, I’d set up a live position on our balcony for hits.
One day I was sitting inside and suddenly saw a monkey casually walking across the balcony.
That was the end of outdoor live shots.
Steph:
I adore India.
The smells, the chai, the chaos, the colour, the food...
Elizabeth:
That’s exactly why I love it.
I left India when I was ten and moved back when I was thirty-six, so I spent twenty-six years wanting to return.
And after moving back, I realised why I’d missed it so much.
India forces you into the present moment.
There are so many sights and sounds and smells pulling you into now that there’s no room for drifting.
You feel intensely alive here.
Steph:
Was it strange coming back?
Elizabeth:
Not really.
I’d worked so hard to make it happen that I was just overwhelmingly happy to be here.
And I still am.
Steph:
And of course — your beautiful wedding in Paris. Congratulations.
Elizabeth:
Thank you.
It was such an important break, especially after the second wave here.
That second wave became this huge marker in all our lives.
We all measure time now as before the second wave or after the second wave.
For anyone who lived through it in Delhi, it was one of the most traumatic experiences of our lives.
Reporting the Second Wave
Steph:
What was it like reporting on that every day?
Elizabeth:
Honestly?
It felt like living through a nightmare.
You’d wake up and check the news, and everything was horrific.
The official numbers were staggering, but we knew the real numbers were far worse.
And then you’d go out and report from hospitals, mortuaries, crematoriums.
The desperation was unlike anything I’ve ever seen.
People weren’t just dying from COVID — they were dying because there were no beds, no oxygen, no resources left.
And at the same time, all of our WhatsApps and social feeds were filled with desperate pleas for oxygen and hospital beds.
It was relentless.
We lost so many people.
Friends lost parents.
Neighbours died.
Death was everywhere.
And covering that level of suffering every single day was harrowing.
Steph:
Your reporting was extraordinary.
And then on top of that, reporting on children unable to access education...
Elizabeth:
That’s the reality of inequality in India.
We recently travelled to one of India’s poorest states with child rescue teams and police.
The pandemic pushed so many families into poverty that children are now being trafficked at terrifying rates.
Schools were shut. Most families can’t afford online learning.
We saw children working everywhere.
That’s the thing with a crisis like this in a country like India — the ripple effects are devastating.
On Confidence
Steph:
What’s your relationship with confidence now — on camera and speaking publicly?
Elizabeth:
I feel good now.
I was always fairly comfortable speaking publicly, even as a kid.
But when I started presenting at Al Jazeera, my confidence took a massive hit.
It was my first presenting job, on a huge international platform, and I was completely out of my depth.
That was one of the hardest feelings I’ve ever had to overcome.
The biggest lesson?
Prepare obsessively.
And then back yourself.
Know you’re there for a reason.
Steph:
The newsroom studio at Al Jazeera is brutal — right in the middle of the newsroom.
Elizabeth:
Exactly.
And the bosses are sitting metres away.
I found that absolutely terrifying.
Someone once gave me brilliant advice:
If someone makes you nervous, imagine your biggest supporters standing in front of them.
So I’d imagine my dad, my closest friends, lined up between me and the bosses.
That visualisation helped enormously.
On-Air Mistakes
Steph:
Have you had any shockers?
Elizabeth:
Mostly just nerves making me stumble over words.
Early on I once said “toilet” instead of “chocolate” while reading.
Mortifying.
But thankfully nothing devastating.
Managing Stress
Steph:
How do you manage pressure now?
Elizabeth:
The basics:
Prepare.
Back yourself.
And when something goes badly, leave it there.
Don’t carry it into the next live hit.
Also:
Exercise
Sleep
Eat properly
Meditate
It sounds boring, but if I’m not doing those things, I cannot do my job well.
And one huge practical thing:
I stopped taking my personal phone to work.
Presenting requires absolute focus.
My phone was a massive distraction.
Removing it changed everything.
And it helped me switch off afterward too.
Switching Off from Hard Stories
Steph:
Do you struggle to leave difficult stories behind?
Elizabeth:
Yes.
I still haven’t mastered that.
When stories involve immense suffering, it’s incredibly hard to leave them at work.
What helps me is writing.
Not news scripts — personal writing.
Writing down the details that didn’t fit into a three-minute package, because I don’t want to forget what it felt like.
That helps.
What’s Next
Steph:
What are you most looking forward to?
Elizabeth:
Honestly?
I’m still so happy just being here.
I worked for years to get back to India.
I haven’t moved past the excitement of finally being here.
So I don’t have some big “next thing.”
I’m exactly where I want to be.
Steph:
That’s the perfect answer.
And as soon as borders open, I’m coming.
Elizabeth:
I’ll hold you to that.
Steph:
Liz, thank you so much.
I’ve loved this chat.
Elizabeth:
Me too.
Thank you.
