Lisa Ray

The half-Indian, half-Polish beauty who charmed a million hearts in Afreen Afreen has been a top-notch model for most of the last decade: she endorses Lakme and is the ambassador for Rado watches. And like fellow models like Nethra Raghuraman and Milind Soman, Lisa Ray wouls now have the occupation of "film actress" listed on her visiting card. She is shooting for Vikram Bhatt's suspense thriller, Kasoor opposite Aftab Shivdasani.

Seasonsindia.com correspondent Suhasini caught up with her on the sets

Till yesterday you would have told people that you were a model. Now you can tell people that you are a "movie actress". Does it mean anything to you?
It's not hit me as yet, so it's not something larger-than-life for me. What I do feel is that it has been a wonderful experience, where I've been able to push myself professionally, and where I've even evolved somewhat as a person.

Tell us about your part that you are playing in Kasoor?
I know everyone says that my film and my role are the greatest, but I'll tell you why my role in Kasoor is genuinely exciting. For the first time, or at least after a very long time, there is a strong female central character in our films. I play a young, professional, independent woman, the likes of which are not typically seen in a Hindi commercial film format. I am playing a lawyer in the film and I take on the case of a man (Aftab Shivdasani) who is accused of murdering his wife. It's a suspense thriller, so I can't give away anything else.

Most models, indeed most actresses, begin with a peripheral, song-and-dance role. Was it difficult for you to plunge straight into a central role?
I probably would have felt a lot more out of place, if I was singing and dancing and skipping away without having anything else to do. I think I was considered for the role because my sensibilities match with that of my character. Besides, everyone was so supportive and we knew we were doing something different, so it wasn't really so tough for me.

How has Vikram Bhatt, the director, helped you in your first break?
I'm quite convinced that Vikram Bhatt can make anyone act. See I'm not trained in acting. I'm very comfortable in front of the camera - but that's two different things actually. I was very fortunate to have a director of Vikram's calibre, who literally draws out a performance from an actor. He explains the emotional context of a scene in such a way that you can't help but feel the same way as your character. The first time I realised I had actually performed, it was amazing. It was a very emotional scene and I managed to cry throughout the shot without any glycerine. As soon as the shot was over, everyone was like 'Great shot'; but then they in a very matter of fact manner moved on to lighting the next shot. But I was sitting there feeling completely shattered, and wanting a little attention and caring. So acting is very exhilarating, but also totally draining.

You said acting also helped you evolve as a person. How was that?
Acting is therapeutic. In the process of expressing such intense emotions, I went into certain areas of myself that I hadn't explored in a long time. I drew upon certain memories and experiences, which I had pushed into a closet. I discovered that you can't bury things. I was the kind of person who kept looking ahead, never glanced back. I thought that was the right thing to do - turns out it may not be the case.

Do you see yourself doing more films?
I found the Kasoor experience very positive, but I'm also realistic about the fact that not many of these kind of films get made. And that there are not many set-ups in commercial Hindi films where I would feel comfortable. I'll give you just a small example of a director who couldn't communicate with me in a language that I could relate to, and by that I don't mean English or Hindi, but the need for a certain common wavelength. But I do hope that I can seek out people with similar sensibilities, because I'd love to work in more films.

You do have a problem with the languages out here don't you?
I understand Hindi perfectly, but my diction leaves a lot to be desired - there's no doubt about that. Obviously, it's no secret that I don't think in Hindi, and that I'm not completely fluent in it. I'm not dubbing my voice at this point of time, but in the future I hope to do so.

Why aren't you doing the Hrithik-Esha-Saif film, Na Tum Jaano Na Hum anymore?
I walked out of that film after the first day's shooting, because I felt a little uncomfortable.

When you began modelling, you had quite a sexy image. Is that continued in Kasoor?
Not at all. And none of the work I do is an extension of that either. Even my modelling is not at all similar to what I did earlier. Not that I regret anything I did earlier, but I've evolved and changed.

Tell us about how it all happened.
I grew up in Toronto, Canada. It's absurd and there's no way you can explain it, but I've always felt that I belong in India. We used to come to India for vacations. In fact, my father's family are very orthodox Bengalis living in Calcutta, and I've been heavily steeped in our culture. I didn't grow up here, but in spirit I've always been a part of India.

Are you ambitious?
I'm ambitious, but not competitive. I've done things that I'm not supposed to. For a year, I went completely underground. I did it to prove to myself that I could detach myself. Also, people perceive you as an image. Full stop. So I needed to detach myself and get some perspective. I came out with the realisation that there was a lot more I could do with my life. But luckily for me, instead of having to change professions, I was able to incorporate that into my profession.