He was pretending to ignore what was taking place near the place. 
hi wɑz pɹitɛndɪŋ tu ɪɡnɔɹ wʌt wɑz teɪkɪŋ pleɪs nɪɹ ðʌ pleɪs. 
 Indian speaks with a very monotone tone in a room with very clear acoustics, resulting in a very good recording.