At 46, Lisa Ray broke several notions and myths about motherhood by sharing the news of having two daughters via surrogacy.
She has never followed the rules but made some of her own. As a teenager, she tasted success as she rose to fame as a successful model. Later, Lisa became a face of several magazine covers, brand endorsements and films.
Be it her debut film Kasoor or Deepa Mehta's Water, Lisa Ray's choices were brave and far from ordinary. At the initial stage of their career as actors, no one would dare to chop off their hair for a role but with Water, she made an exception.
The movie was critically acclaimed. She stuck around in the show biz in several ways but life threw a curve ball and she was diagnosed with multiple Myeloma. And then she began her own journey of self-discovery, where she walked the part of finding peace and sanity amidst the chaos of life.
Today, she has a lot to offer to her fans and people who like her.?
Her book ¡®Close To The Bone¡¯, is the story of a young teen model who was born to a Bengali father and Polish mother, and grew up in Toronto ¨C it's her brave story which she has tried to tell with a pinch of realism and humour.
Lisa
"Contrary to public perception, I have both always aspired to be a writer and always written. It¡¯s my one true ambition and passion. And because I¡¯ve had unusual experiences, I have always kept a diary. I am also a natural observer, I enjoy watching more than being the center of attention. And after years of being labelled by public perceptions, I realized it was time to take control of my personal story. I also have a lot of details to share about my cancer experience which is not possible in short interviews or public talks. All these ingredients came together to create Close to the Bone."
"The greatest primal fear is death and ironically I landed up taking a course on Death and Dying at a Tibetan Buddhist meditation center a few months before I was diagnosed and a few months after my mother passed. It equipped me with the perspective and tools to wrestle with those fears but not surrender to them."
"Let me begin by saying that being in ¡®business¡¯ has never been part of my agenda. I enjoy being the outsider and dipping my toe into the river current whenever I feel. I¡¯ve been in the business for more than 30 years and never in it completely. So while I¡±m enjoying being part of 4 more shots please and 99 songs which is AR Rahman¡¯s debut production, my true triumph is my book and my babies. "
"I find that a very sad state of affairs. I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s specific to India because by nature, a memoir must be truthful- even if it¡¯s your truth. Honesty and authenticity is valued in most parts of the world. I don¡¯t know why India should be different. I can only share that it didn¡¯t occur to me to be anything but honest. It¡¯s easier for me than to be hypocritical or to hide behind a mask. Honesty is so healing. I¡¯m honest because it connects me to others and we see our deeply human qualities and we can laugh together and feel supported."
"My one aspiration was to have experiences- to treat life like a glorious buffet and taste a little of everything- including the bitter. I¡¯ve done that in my career but more importantly in my personal life. I am not what I do. I am not my work. That¡¯s another reason I wrote Close to the Bone to come out from that mask of so called celebrity or stardom."
"Dramatically and yet, it¡¯s all aligned to the insights I had when I was diagnosed. I¡±m going to keep working and creating but I have to work smarter and shorter. The smiles and cuddles are irreplaceable. I find myself peacefully drowning in their essence."
"Honestly I¡¯m the wrong person to do this, but I would share a snippet of a poem by E.E Cummings:?
To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else- means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting?
"I¡¯ve been in front of the camera all over the world. I wish the Indian media would acknowledge all the work I did outside of India- a long list. I enjoy being in front of the camera but Bollywood was never my dish. the new Hindi film industry and the digital revolution are more of my flavor.."
"Loads. It will involvedmore books, writing, mothering, travelling, acting and living. And also silence. We underestimate the power of silence and stillness. My past has watered my roots and prepares me for where I¡¯m going and I¡¯m so happy to be back in India with my family."