What is happening in Bollywood?  I am unable to understand. What is happening to the film quality and the duration? Earlier, almost all the films used to be of 3 hrs duration or even more. Now all the films are being chopped off to earn big bucks in quick time. As a result, you have not even come to understanding the film and its characters when you see the The End caption.

Earlier, a film used to be considered a hit if it used to run for 100 days. Now there is hardly any film which crosses the 100 days mark. During this year, only Jab We Met and Jodha Akbar could be considered hit films. Even Sarkar Raaj was much below expectations. There is no creativity while picking up the film title. All titles seem to be borrowed from old hit songs or a mismatch of English and Hindi words.

Earlier, there used to be few directors but they used to make quality films. Now there is a big bunch of directors but their films are just not attracting the audience. It seems our stars are more interested in doing commercials and marketing their films rather than concentrating on acting.

I agree that film industry is increasing its profits but I can say with surety that people forget a film after say 2 or 3 weeks. Something should be done to make a film a superhit.

Directors, do something to raise the quality?

Hi frenz,

How are you doing?
Do you know I have been using Webshots for the past 4-5 years? During this period, I have seen many online photo Web sites starting their shops online and then closing down suddenly. But if there is one photo site which has always remained up is definitely Web shots. Webshots provide you the ability to upload thousands of pictures, that too for free. You can create your own albums and then track your visitors. What's more, you can copy the URL of your album or photo and paste it anywhere. Isn't it amazing?

Well, if you are the one who truly appreciates beauty, you would like to download pictures. Right! Webshots has an amazing collection of high-resolution but small-size images which you can download for free. The quality is just superb; I bet that you can't find higher-quality images in any other site. You just need to install the free Webshots software. You can also shift all your stored images should you decide to purchase a new PC.

Download Webshots now and decorate your desktop. BTW, I am not associated with Webshots in any way. And if you think any other site can beat Webshots, please let me know.

Hi Guyz,


If you have still not traveled in Delhi Metro feeder buses, you are missing
something. Believe me! Traveling in Delhi Metro feeder buses is a unique
experience. It is very different from the experience that you get while
traveling in rickety RTVs.


Some of the good points about Delhi Metro feeder buses are:

1. They are operated by Delhi
   Metro. The conductor and driver are always in uniform. The conductor just
   does not keep waiting for passengers infinitely. The moment all passengers
   at a bus stop are in, the conductor immediately instructs the driver to
   keep the bus moving. As a result, you reach your destination early.
2. The driver follows all the
   traffic regulations and just does not whiz past the red light.
3. The seats are horizontally
   facing. As a result, there is ample leg space for standing passengers.
4. The best part is the tickets.
   Amaze yourself by seeing tickets being printed from a small vertical
   machine. The conductor does not need to punch the tickets.

3rd February, Sunday

Hi frenz,

I was hearing good reviews of the movie "Sunday" on every entertainment  TV channel.  Today, finally, I  got the time to watch "Sunday" in a cinema hall. And what a coincidence, I watched the movie "Sunday" on "Sunday". The movie turned out exactly to be as per the reviews. It is about how Ayesha Takia aka Sehar fails to remember one Sunday and how some unexpected events happen on that Sunday. It is a wonderful mixture of all the essential movie ingredients. It has action scenes, lovely songs, emotions, comedy, and suspense. Akshay Kumar plays the role of a police ACP who takes bribes from just anyone. Ayesha has played her part beautifully. I especially liked the comic scenes by Irfan Khan.

You must watch this movie, this movie is not to be missed.

Neeraj Jain, December 26, 2007

Hey friends,

It feels great to write on rediffiland after such a loooooooong time. Well, now December is about to end and winter has not really set its foot in Delhi. The season of winter has changed a lot in Delhi. Around 4-5 years back winter used to arrive in the middle of November. There used to be a really dense fog. When going out, it was difficult to see people just right next to you. Therefore, you had to take a lot of precautions when walking on the road. Big circles of air used to come out every time I used to open my mouth. People used to wear 3-4 layers of woolens.

Winter has changed a lot. Now winter does not set in Delhi till the middle of January. People just wear one sweater or a jacket. You have to try hard to see a fog. I am missing the earlier winter seasons of Delhi and hoping that the winter will be more cold this season.

If you are also missing the cold climate of yesteryears, please do comment.

Neeraj Jain, 14th November

What a miracle? The doctors of Sparsh Hospital at Bangalore successfully completed an operation on Lakshmi and separated her from her parastic twin. Kudos to her parents and the chief surgeon who made it possible!

Lakshmi suffered from a rare disease. She had four hands and four legs. As a result, she could not walk besides other difficulties. She was born to poor parents in Bihar. One circus owner tried to buy this girl from them in return of huge money. However, her parents really loved Lakshmi. They were hopeful of getting some relief for Lakshmi. They came to Delhi. However, no health facility offered a solution. Therefore, they returned to Bihar.

Dr. Sharan Patil came to know about Lakshmi's condition through newspapers. He immediately met her parents in Bihar and decided to operate upon  her without charging any money. Unbelievable, but true. He and his team of 30 doctors performed a 27-hour operation costing 25 lakhs without charging money from her parents. He put his career at stake just in the hope of giving a new life to a poor girl.

The medical team cut her spine and closed the gap between her pelvis bones. Now she is recovering fast. Dr. Sharan is hopeful that she will start walking in 1-2 months. I also hope the same for Lakshmi. A person like Dr. Sharan is very hard to find. I pray to God to fulfill all his wishes.

Hey friendz, what are your thoughts on this? Have you ever met such kind of humble person as Dr. Sharan? Do comment.

Neeraj Jain, 29th October

In our everyday lives, most of us use perfumes or deodorants. We use deodorants to keep away body odour. On the other hand, we use perfumes to keep ourselves fresh and cast a favorable impression on others.

Go to any Archies or any gift shop. You will find many perfumes and deodorants. Some come cheap while others cast a dent in your pocket. Some are mild while others are strong. The most common varieties that you find are Rose, Peach, musk, and sandalwood. Have you wondered which is the best perfume? I would say: none. This is because these perfumes are synthetic and contain very small amount of plant extracts. Their effects vanish after an hour or so. You do not feel the fragrance for a long time.

If you want to savour the best perfume, this season, the autumn season, is the best time. Just go to any temple nearby. If you are fortunate, you will find a harsingar tree now. Its orange buds give such a strong and refreshing smell that you can feel its fragrance from a long distance.

If you do not like going to temples, you just need to go out of your residential area and visit the arterial  roads. I mean roads which branch out from the main road. Trees are in full bloom now. Their fragrance is so strong that your nose will automatically open up.

Just move out of your residential areas and experience the best perfumes of this world. I am sure; you will forget all perfumes available in the market. If you have already experienced the natural perfumes, please share your thoughts. 

Neeraj Jain, October 18, 2007

Recently, I got a chance to visit Rishikesh with my cousin. For those of you who do not know much about India, Rishikesh is a small hill district in Uttrakhand. Rishikesh is also a place from where “Beatles” drew all their inspiration.

We arrived in Rishikesh at around 11 AM. The moment we landed up at the bus station, a whole battery of autowallas surrounded us. They promised us to take us to all famous spots of Rishikesh at cheap rates. We knew that Rishikesh is a small place and we had a full day to spare in Rishikesh. So we decided to explore Rishikesh, all by ourselves. We deposited our luggage in the cloak room at the bus station.

We inquired about famous spots of Rishikesh from an autowallah. Then we walked up to the main road. From the main road, we took a shared auto up to Ram Jhoola. While we were in the auto, an elderly man told us that Shivpuri is only 11 km away. I had heard a lot about Shivpuri. Therefore, I decided to first visit Shivpuri and then visit famous spots in Rishikesh. The shared auto dropped us at Ram Jhoola. From there, we took another shared auto up to Laxman Jhoola. At Laxman Jhoola, we waited for the bus to take us to Shivpuri. After waiting for 30 minutes or so, we found a bus. The bus started climbing up the hills. We could see the crystal clear Ganga flowing down the hills.

When we reached Shivpuri, we were thrilled to find the amazingly clear transparent water. We could see the boulders and stones from the top of the Ganges water. Even Bisleri water cannot be more pure than this. We saw two couples enjoying an intimate bath there. Some soldiers from ITBP were also enjoying rafting there. Rafting is very expensive. However, if there is a large group, you can share the expenses. We were not carrying spare clothes. Therefore, we were also not in a position to enjoy bathing in clear water :-( However, we folded up our trousers and immersed our thighs in the water. The scenery was picturesque and the water cold. It was impossible to keep our legs submerged in water for more than 2-3 minutes. However, the cold water had a soothing effect on our legs. We could feel the comfort in our legs.

After Shivpuri, we headed straight for Laxman Jhoola. You cannot reach there in a vehicle. You need to walk up and down stairs for around 1 km before you finally reach there. What a sight Laxman Jhoola was! This jhoola connects two ends of Ganga without a single pillar in between. The bridge or the jhoola is held together by strong cables. When we set our feet on the Jhoola, we could feel the bridge moving. Even scooters and motorcycles run without fear over this moving bridge. There were langurs or white monkeys at the other end of the bridge. Speedboats were also there for boat lovers. You can also see the white sand here giving it a beach-like environment.

Neeraj Jain, September 17

I have been to several malls in East Delhi, Noida, and Ghaziabad. But I have always found

Pacific Mall at Kaushami, Ghaziabad to be the best. This mall is situated close to Anand

Vihar Inter State Bus Terminal, Delhi.

There are four reasons for my liking:
1.It is a very spacious mall and the parking is rarely crowded here.
2.It houses both ADLABS multiplex and Crossword book store.
3. Chun Mun collection is very nice.
3.There is always some interactive activity going on in the mall. Infact, the mall has a

small paid area for playing cricket.
4.The food items are inexpensive here provided you visit the shops at the basement.

ADLABS multiplex is unique because it offers you ultimate viewing experience at average

prices. The movie tickets are priced at Rs. 110/- for silver class and Rs. 130/- for gold

class. The seats, red in color, are plush and there is sufficient leg room. You never feel

cramped even when the hall is full. There is also an imax theater. imax has a very wide and

curved screen so that you get the same feel from all angles. If you want snacks and drinks,

you can order and they will be served right at your seat! Wow, this is living life kingsize

at moderate prices.

Crossword must be a heaven for all book connoisseurs. Go there and you will be find a book

on any subject. Right now, Crossword is offering a discount. If you do not want to buy a

book, just sit there and browse a book for hours for free.

Regarding having light snacks, a word of caution! Do not go to the food court at the 2nd

floor. Instead, escalate down to basement. You will be able to get a patty at the local

price of Rs. 8, voila! There are plenty of ice creams and coffee options in Pacific Mall.

If you are nature lover, there is a well-maintained park for you. Visiting Pacific will be

more enjoyable if you visit it in evening in autumn or winter. During autumn and winter, the

big fountains are in full flow. So prepare to get yourself dazzled by fountain lights.

Pacific Mall is not just for youngsters; it is for everyone.

Neeraj Jain, September 10
I believe that most of you must also be Orkut members. If that's true, you must have seen the changes. Orkut has moved from the beta phase and is fully functional now.

Orkut seems to be inspired from the Indian cricket team - Men in Blue. Everywhere, you will find a shade of blue. The color that I like most in orkut is the royal blue color of the top-level navigation bar. For a change, Orkut has stopped
asked for verifying the e-mail address again and again. Every time, I used to log in, it used to ask me for verifying my e-mail address. That
was a terrible headache, I must say.

These are the four major interface changes that I found on Orkut:

1. On the home page, you can know what your friends are doing lately. Hey, I am talking about updates from your friends. This is a great future and was seriously
required in an interactive social networking site. Now you can immediately come to know when your friend puts a new photo or updates the profile.

2. The upcoming birthdays list now also includes main page photos of your friends. So next time, you are less likely to give an excuse that you forgot wishing your friend ;)

3. A scrap is not just plain text anymore. In a scrap, you can insert images and videos. Therefore, instead of writing e-mails separately, you can just use the powerful scrap functionality.

3. There is hell lot of change in community topics. Well, they have changed for the better. Now they portray the same interface as scraps.

4. Everywhere across Orkut, you
will find tabs. When I talk about updating the profile, the update
profile page has been divided into different tabs. This looks extremly
cool. You have different tabs for general, social, contact,
professional, and personal. You can also view tabs in friends and
communities. So you have different tabs for all friends, open friend
requests, open invites. Similarly, you have different tabs for all,
owned, and pending communities. You can also view tabs in lists, messages, and
settings pages. The tabbed view allows you to be in total control of
whatever you are doing while being fully sane. This largely increases
the reusability.

Frnz, what do you have to say on the new look of Orkut? Looking forward to your responses...