An Interview - Richa Pallod
How Net savvy are you? How would you rate yourself on a scale of 1 to 10?
I would rate myself a five out of ten -- only because I haven't had the time in the last two years to surf the Net much. But I have been online for the last four years. I surf the Net in my leisure -- check mail, chat on messenger with friends abroad and surf sites. I actually got online because I had a PC at home and I was tinkering with it. Besides, all my friends had moved abroad and I was the only one in India. The Net was the cheapest and the most inexpensive way to stay in touch with them.
How much time do you spend online?
I surf whenever I can. Even when I am outdoors shooting, I take great pains to find an Internet parlour or cyber cafe. In fact, they offer me better connectivity than connecting from home. But I can't sit in front of the screen for more than an hour and a half because I am a very fidgety person.
What are your favourite sites?
I am not really a Web site person, but once I get online, I usually surf news sites like CNN, BBC and Rediff. But, for me, the biggest boon are the sites dedicated to films down South. Since I am in Mumbai, I usually never get to read the buzz about my films, what people think about them, their reviews and their criticism about my performance. So once I am online, I usually surf discussion boards, forums and movie e-zines to stay in touch with the industry.
Have you ever been ego-surfing?
That is my latest pastime. I enjoy typing my name in a search engine and reading about myself. Especially now, with the release of my film, there are lots of interviews and pictures online. I find it very enjoyable to read about myself online. In fact, I have had old friends getting in touch with me after reading an article about me on the Net.
What do you hate or like most about the Internet?:
What I like most is the cheap accessibility to friends and family all over the world. But what I hate most is connecting online. I wish it were simpler. There are days when I just don't have the patience to wait for connectivity!
Any strange experiences online?:
I have never chatted with strangers. So none at all.
A Web-based gadget you would like to own?:
An MP3 player. I love downloading music and listening to it on my sets, so that is definitely on my priority list.
Is there any one celebrity you would love to chat with online?
I would like to chat with the Khanna brothers. I have never met them in person so it would be fascinating to actually talk to them without them knowing who I am.