Juhi Chakraborty (HINDUSTAN TIMES; November 4, 2019)

It is quite apparent from her social media posts that Lisa Ray likes to keep it real. Recently, when Lisa shared a no-makeup selfie on social media and termed it “free and unfiltered”, it went viral. For the model-turned-actor, it is all about keeping it real even in the virtual world.

“Today, I’m so confident and unshakeable in my own middle-aged body that truth telling comes easily to me,” shares the 47-year-old, adding, “I’m not interested in only projecting unreality. We need to start a dialogue that is an antidote to the unrealistic expectations that the beauty industry propagates through social media. Enough!”

This real side of her also reflects in Lisa’s first book, an autobiography. She says she is so much in love with writing now that she is ready to be a full-time writer, which has always been her dream. “I want to officially announce that I’ve signed a three book contract,” she adds, jubilantly.

But that does not mean that she has put her acting career on the back-burner. She will be seen in the second season of web series Four More Shots Please! and in a feature film 99 Songs, which premiered at the Busan Film Festival.

Lisa has, however, never chased Bollywood films. Her filmography is pretty sparse. “My career is an accident. I never aspired to be a part of Bollywood. It’ s not part of my aesthetic and artistic reference points,” she responds.

“I’ve acted in independent films abroad that brought me acclaim and satisfaction, though the Indian audience is ignorant of the fact I have a career outside India. I am an introvert and I can’t even relate to most Hindi films, so why would I put my energy towards acting in them?” Lisa concludes.