The name:
Lara Dutta
Claim to fame:
Miss Universe 2000 who will be making her debut in the film Andaz with Akshay Kumar and Priyanka Chopra.
How Net savvy are you on a scale of one to ten?
I'm fairly Net savvy. I'd give myself a seven.
What do you enjoy doing online?
I usually surf to keep myself updated on current affairs. I've got too many friends all over, so I send mass email. I also visit sites of foreign stores. Now, I'm gonna float my own site called laradutta.com. It will have all you wanna know about Lara and a little more. Most of my work is Web-based. Since I model at the international level, the Net is my way of keeping in touch. Also, I use it to research stuff. If I want to develop a particular look or hunt for photographs, I go online.
What's your daily routine like? How much time do you spend online?
I spend around 45 minutes. I'd like to spend as much time as possible, but with hectic shooting schedules it's not feasible. You need to make a conscious effort to stop once you're logged on.
What's your idea of a perfect Web site?
Accessibility is important. You should be able to navigate easily enough and get exactly what you are looking out for. Also, stuff like Flash is pretty outdated. Presentation is most important. You need to add that personal touch for the viewer to connect with. The information should be the latest and updated. All these factors go into the making of a perfect site.
Any favourite sites?
None in particular.I like rediff.com quite a bit. The International Press Association's site is one that I visit quite often. Since I'm the sporty type, I keep myself updated with scores, especially golf-related. I visit nike.com as well.
Ever been ego-surfing?
Yes, there are quite a few sites on me. It's an honour that people do care enough to make those things for you. It gives me a high. I like those sites. However, some of the pictures are downloaded from shoots that I'd done earlier. But the pictures for laradutta.com will be exclusive and fresh.
Is there something you'd like to buy or sell online?
I bought my boyfriend basketball shoes at an auction online. He's a sportsperson too.
If you could change anything about the Internet, what would it be?
I'd bring about some kind of litigation online.
What do you love most about the Internet? What do you hate about it?
I love the fact that it has brought the world into your backyard. You have accessibility to any query or information you need at your fingertips.
I hate the fact that there are around 30,000 mails that I have to answer. Also, hacking is a major problem. I wish there were more security measures against this kind of thing.
Any strange experience online?
I've been lucky that way; I had no major hassles online. There are people who've managed to obtain my email address and send me strange messages though. I get a lot of proposals online that I delete immediately.
Ever chatted with strangers?
Once long ago, when I had jaundice and was stuck with nothing to do. That was when this whole chatting thing had just come about, several years ago. Ever since, I've not chatted with strangers.
Is there any one celebrity you'd love to chat online with?
Shah Rukh Khan. It would be fun chatting with him especially if he did not know that it was I. He has a wacky sense of humour, so there would be a lot of masti in the dialogue.
Have you downloaded pictures or traded in stock online?
I have downloaded pictures, but only for work-related purposes.
What's your favourite Web-based gadget?
My laptop. I lug it around everywhere. Especially when I was Miss Universe and based in New York, my laptop was my little haven -- my connection to home.
If the Net didn't exist…
I'd be handicapped. In this day and age, technology has made life much easier.
