She might not be seen on the big screen often, but Lisa Ray has enough on her plate to keep her busy. Working towards empowering women, aiding cancer patients, running a yoga studio - the actress has been doing things that she has always loved to. In a bareit-all conversation, Lisa tells us why she considers herself an 'accidental actress' and how she is at peace with the term 'cancer survivor'.

You were in Mumbai recently, and had also visited Bodh Gaya. Are you in the quest of finding inner peace?
I am frequently in Mumbai; it's my home. The concept of living in only one city is foreign to me. In fact, in the last two years, I've been more in Mumbai than Hong Kong as I was settling into our new flat. I'm also continuing my work in the field of cancer and women empowerment, as well as writing my memoir. I've spent six months in Dharamshala and was close to becoming part of a monastery. So, the inner pull towards Buddhism has always been strong. I believe that is partially why I'm here today and why I've been able to live with cancer remember, my condition is incurable. So, inner peace is no longer a luxury; it's a necessity to live in the world today.

Do you feel you have missed out on a potential career in Bollywood? You made a comeback with a brief role in Veerappan this year...
I never wanted a career in Bollywood. I've said 'no' more often than 'yes' and my 'no's have been directed to popular, mainstream directors and producers at the height of my fame in the mid-90s. My career has been a happy accident. By nature, I'm an introvert. So I've been a terrible misfit from the start. I was thrown into the business at 16 following a personal tragedy and I thought I'd do this for a year and then go on to a more normal life. This is my 25th year in the business and I've always followed my heart. For me, lasting in a fickle business for 25 years on my own terms is a huge success. For the past decade, I've had a career outside India where I had the opportunity to do everything - star in an Oscar-nominated film, screen test for a James Bond film, do a national stage production, become a travel ambassador, receive one of the most prestigious awards for service and even co-design a line of saris. It's been a fantastic run, while sticking to my own values.

Does it mean Bollywood has taken a back seat?
No, I have a film with Prawaal Raman and I'm looking at signing one more film. Honestly, it's not my main focus, but it's wonderful to do a film or two a year with like-minded people.

You have been vocal about your battle with cancer. What has the fight taught you?
Cancer has forced me to understand what is important in my life and focus on my personal priorities. It has also taught me that I'm more resilient than I thought I was. I believe true strength comes from inside. But I'm not special; everyone has the potential to overcome great difficulties.

Every time people use the term 'cancer survivor' to describe you, does it make you feel uncomfortable?
That's a good question. I think I've made peace with it; I think of it as something to be celebrated. The problem is that there's still so much fear and misinformation about cancer in India. I think sharing my story with people and telling them that I'm living with cancer and yet thriving is a good message. This year, I worked on a documentary about my cancer story and also about the promise of immunotherapy as a powerful treatment. I'm on medication, I do a blood test once a month, I still feel nervous before the results, but I also don't allow any of this to get into the way of living, and by that I mean really living a full life.

How difficult is it for anyone to make their way back into the glam industry after battling cancer?
I think B-Town is no more supportive or unsupportive about cancer than the general population. We are seeing more representation of cancer on screen and that's good to normalise it. Personally, I cringe when cancer is used as a dramatic device in a plot and the heroine dies of it. That's a type of exploitation. It's not that it doesn't happen, but there's no nuance and you are terrifying the audience. I will write a film about cancer from my perspective and believe me, it will be entertaining and uplifting without making things up.

Would you consider returning to modelling? Or grooming aspirants?
I'm a misfit in this industry and I've never done anything by the book. So my way of grooming aspirants would either be to tell them to find another profession or do their own thing. I don't even know how to do my own make-up. I have never been a quintessential model or actress; but honestly, neither were most of my friends from early modeling days. I don't have to work at all, but I choose to. I'm 44 and I enjoy doing occasional shoots, but don't put me in a box. I think my time is better spent writing, living and sharing my life experiences.

Prawaal Raman's upcoming film Main Aur Charles is based on the famous Tihar jail break of 1986 of Charles Sobhraj, where the powerhouse performer Randeep Hooda is portraying Charles.Charles Sobhraj is currently in Kathmandu jail and it's almost impossible to meet him. But on Sunday morning, Randeep Hooda along with his director managed to do the impossible, they met Charles, now a 72-year-old man in Kathmandu jail. Excerpts from an exclusive conversation with Randeep on his meeting with the man he portrays on screen this Friday.

How long was your meeting?
We met him in the area of mulaqat for about 10 minutes. He was at a distance of seven feet from us.

How did you manage to meet Charles?
It's not difficult to meet him, it's almost impossible. We had to go through a lot to meet him and finally got the permission but even after that when we landed in Kathmandu, we were still not allowed to meet him initially.

Talk about the details of your meeting?
I had gone dressed looking myself and not dressed as Charles, so when he saw me he could not recognise till I told him, 'I am the guy who plays Charles.' He looked at me with a long silence and then gave me a thumbs up. I had heard from our sources that he had seen the trailer of our film on his TV there and had liked it. We wanted to present him the poster of the movie. But he had not only already seen the poster, but had already put it up on the wall of the jail. We sent him some posters to sign and he not only signed them but also wrote his best wishes for us. He told us how seeing the trailer, he felt that the film was a great quality product and seeing it, he felt nostalgic about his young life. He told us how it needed guts for producers to make a film like this and he applauded Prawaal Raman for capturing it right. He was specially very high on the fact that I could portray him so correctly. He asked me, 'Where did you get my speech and mannerisms?' I said, 'Out of your available footage.' He said, 'Spot on.' Generosity is a big part of his nature wherever he goes. He requested for a screening of the movie after it releases not only for himself, but also for all his 3,000 inmates. He asked me whether it would be possible. I said, 'Yes. We will need to take permission but we will try our best.'

Did he talk about the possibility of his release?
He told us that there was a hearing on November 3 and that he might be getting out of jail in three months.

Did you present him anything else apart from the poster?
I presented him a book Mandela: My Prisoner, My Friend. Charles has been kept in a special cell but he still reads a lot and is very clued on to what is happening around.

How do you feel having met him?
I am so happy meeting him. It was such a surreal experience for me. He was everything larger than life that I had expected him to be. He was surrounded by security and a lot of his young boys that he pampers and he was all like enthusiastic about meeting us. I thought he was so full of life, almost virile. He is still such a handsome man. Even at the age of 72, he has his aura fully intact.

Has he sent any message?
He sent his salaam to Amod Kant. He complimented us for choosing to portray this part of his life, which he said was very interesting. He also said that once he was out of jail, he would like to meet Prawaal and me to share more interesting stories about his life, which could mean more sequels to his story.

Main Aur Charles, which is inspired by notorious criminal Charles Sobhraj and his Tihar jailbreak, is expected to be an intriguing thriller. Randeep Hooda plays the protagonist in the film that is produced by Raju Chadha, Amit Kapoor and Vikram Khakhar.

Interestingly, some jail scenes were shot at an actual prison. And what's more, real cops were asked to play reel cops, too. Writer-director Prawaal Raman felt that the junior artistes meant to essay the role of policemen didn't fit the bill. The cops agreed to be the saviours but shot for the film only after their working hours were over. The cast and crew had great fun shooting with the men in khaki and were happy that they did such a good job.

Recalling the shoot, Prawaal says, “Since we were ensuring authenticity in every aspect, we felt that the junior artistes cast initially were unable to do justice to their parts and requested the cops who were present during our shoot to step in. They lent character to their roles. In fact, they would wait back after their shift to shoot for the film.“

Main Aur Charles, presented by Wave Cinemas Ponty Chadha and produced by Cynozure Networkz, releases October 30.

Randeep Hooda admits that he has turned over a new leaf. The actor now believes in associating with different kinds of people so that his work gets significance. He is happy that his forthcoming film, Main Aur Charles, where he plays serial killer Charles Sobhraj, is evoking curiosity amongst audiences. In a chat with Bombay Times, Randeep talks about his role and what inspires him to take up such films. Excerpts from the interview:

The trailer of Main Aur Charles begins with the sentence, 'It is good to be evil'. Do you connect with it?
There are always two sides of a man's personality and he's driven towards both. Every person has negative thoughts and we learn to control them most of the time. But, what if you can get away with it! What if you can break the grounds of morality and manipulate people? What if you can make them a part of your negative thoughts and get away? Here, evil is used in the context of not being absolutely dark; it also means being a little naughty.

Why have you always kept a low profile about your work?
I think it's a prerequisite. I like to approach my work that way. What I achieve in my life is between me and God and not for anyone else to know. It's a cliché to say my work should speak for itself, but I believe in it. In today's world, it's important to glorify your work. I think the least you can do is look the part and convince the audience about your performance in a film.

Many actors have to work hard towards getting subject-oriented roles. How have you managed to be so patient?
I started my career with a film called D, which was based on the life of Dawood Ibrahim. I've always been inclined towards doing subject-oriented roles. That Randeep Hooda has always been there. But I guess earlier, I wasn't garnering that kind of attention. I was doing one film at a time. Over a period of time, I realised and the industry made me understand that you have to team up with people. Without that support, your work will not have the same kind of significance. It matters to the media when you work with people of big stature. I've worked diligently, but a good association changes things for the better.

You had mentioned in an earlier interview that you believe Charles is innocent. Comment.
He has never been proven guilty in the court of law, so I guess that you are innocent till proven guilty. Even Nepal didn't have a proper trial for him. I think he is their star attraction (laughs).

Charles had a turbulent childhood as his parents had separated. You, too, have stayed away from your parents and spent most of your life with your maternal grandmother and in a hostel. In that aspect, are there similarities between Charles and you?
Yes, I've lived with my maternal grandmother, and I still lead my life the way I led it in a hostel. This helps me stay detached from my work. As an actor, the first thing you do when you approach a role is to find similarities between your character and you. When you shoot a movie, the crew becomes your family. You live in the present and while doing that, sometimes you become incommunicado. Also, I'm a very detached person at heart. I've never been on a holiday, my life is a holiday. I don't know why I should go on a vacation and get bored. I'm 39 years old, I enjoy riding my horses, doing my work and there is so much to be grateful for.

What kind of research did you do for the role?
The film is based on the incident narrated by officer Amod Kant and the charge sheet filed against Charles. When we did the research, everybody had a conflicting story. Our film is based on articles and his documentary footage that we saw. But, since we say a lot of things about a person within a short span of time, it had to be adapted from the original version. Prawaal Raman (director) and I became very much like Charles while making the film, and we have kept it as real as possible. The look is cosmetic and it can be achieved, but it's the thought process that is important as he is an enigma and we wanted to portray that.

Secondly, learning French was not very difficult because I've a knack for phonetics. In fact, speaking Gujari for Highway was difficult, because being a Haryanvi, I speak Jatu. I had to unlearn my laugh for Main Aur Charles. It was very hard as I have a big, hearty laugh in real life.

Charles was known as a bikini killer. Do you connect with his way of treating women?
I think he was unscrupulous about the way he used women. I don't do that. Charles would say something to them to get his way without meaning it, whereas I get stuck because I mean what I say to them.

You've never spoken about your relationships. Do you see yourself settling down in future?
I'm married to my job. Women are attracted to 'bad men' but I don't know if I have that 'bad' element. There are times when you feel you want to settle down as it will give you more stability, but I'm not too sure about it. I'll take the plunge only when I'm 70-80% sure. I don't want to subject other people to my eccentricities.

You have been comfortable with kissing and nudity in films. Yet, you have never got the 'serial kisser' tag. You must be happy about it?
Yes, I'm thankful that nobody has attached those tags with me. The easiest thing to do is to kiss a girl and I don't want to be known for that. I would rather be known for my performances. For instance, Rang Rasiya was such a beautiful story but it was trivialised for its kissing scenes.

Finally, what inspires you?
I'm happy when I'm preparing for my work and happier when someone chooses me because I could be the only one suitable for that particular role. I don't do a movie because I want a car or a flat. I enjoy my work.

Richa Chadha is all excited about her upcoming film, Prawaal Raman's Main Aur Charles, in which she plays a law student who falls in love with 'bikini killer' Charles Sobhraj. She reveals that when she had heard about the film two years ago, she texted Prawaal Raman asking to meet him. “He sent me the script and I immediately fell in love with it,“ reminisces the 26-year-old actress, adding that though the film is based on real life incidents, she never met anyone to understand her character. “The script is well researched and Prawaal is a capable director whom I trust completely.“

She is also all praise for Randeep Hooda, whom she describes as a great actor, but an underrated one who has experimented with different kinds of roles. “Actors like Randeep, Nawazuddin (Siddiqui) and Irrfan (Khan) are at the top of their game right now and are changing the face of our cinema,“ she asserts.

But doesn't she feel insecure considering the film mainly revolves around Randeep? “I'm always confident about performances. I want to do good roles which are integral to the film, and the length has nothing to do with it. Kate Winslet is an Oscar winning actress but she still did a biopic on Steve Jobs with Michael Fassbender playing the central character. What matters is good work,“ she reasons.

The actress recently struck gold with Neeraj Ghaywan's Masaan. Are they collaborating on another project soon? “He is still writing a script and I won't force him to take me. If he feels I'm right, he will cast me,“ shrugs the actress. However, she hints at another international project but refuses to divulge details.

Richa has been dating a French guy, Franck Gastambide, for a while now. Is marriage on the cards? “He is a nice guy but marriage isn't happening anytime soon. I can't think of moving out of India at this point in time,“ she says.

And how does he react to her steamy scenes with Randeep in the Charles biopic? “There aren't any actually, barring a few kissing scenes which were aesthetically shot“ she signs off.

Randeep Hooda is from the school of relatable actors who believe in giving an authentic touch to the multitude of screen characters they sign up for. Whether it is the diligent police officer, Agnel Wilson (Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai), the edgy kidnapper, Mahabir Bhati (Highway), the eclectic painter, Raja Ravi Varma (Rang Rasiya), the in-the-closet husband, Dev (Bombay Talkies), the ruffian driver, Babloo Lalit (Sahib Biwi Aur Gangster) or the charming top-cop, Himanshu Tyagi (Kick), the actor has metamorphosed into his roles with ease.

Writer-director Prawaal Raman says that Randeep has outdone himself in their upcoming collaboration, Main Aur Charles, produced by Raju Chadha, Amit Kapoor and Vikram Khakhar. From his body language to mannerisms; his accent to style of talking, Randeep has painstakingly gone through the nuances for his role that is inspired by the notorious serial killer, Charles Sobhraj. He apparently spent a year working on his Indo-French accent and wasn't satisfied till he got the pronunciation and diction perfect. Going by the positive response to the promos, there seems no doubt that his hard work is paying off.

Prawaal explains, “Randeep's integrity is the prime reason that makes him such a brilliant actor. He is a pleasure to work with due to his meticulous approach towards his craft. The nicest thing about Randeep is that he doesn't behave like he knows it all. He is like a fresh page with each character. For me as a director, the process of filmmaking was much more beautiful because of his deep-rooted involvement. No doubt, he's such a fine actor.“

Main Aur Charles, presented by Wave Cinemas Ponty Chadha and produced by Cynozure Networkz, releases October 30

The brother-sister duo, Saqib Saleem and Huma Qureshi, will make their first on screen appearance together in the adaptation of Mike Flanagan's American horror film, Oculus. Directed by Prawaal Raman, the untitled, Indianised version will start off with two child actors and then, 15 years later, the desi Kaylie and Tim Russel will grow up to be Huma and Saqib and like the original, the past and present will together run simultaneously as the story unfolds.

Saqib admits that it's a tricky role and has signed up for an intensive 15-day workshop in Delhi to prep up. His character was arrested and sent to a juvenile home at the age of 10 after he shot his father dead at point-blank range. “To understand him better, I spent time in a juvenile home in Delhi and learnt about these desperately lonely children who face abuse there,“ says the 26-year-old actor who will leave for London with Huma in June for the first schedule.

Quiz him on his growing up days and he admits that the siblings hated each other. “Huma would pull my hair and I would beat her up after which she'd go screaming to dad. Now, she's my 4 am bestie and we can't live without each other,“ he says emotionally, adding that when she was doing theatre in Delhi and he used to pick her from workshops, he'd tease her about making weird faces. “Now when I'm doing the same, I understand how important workshops are.“

The actor, who was last seen in Amol Gupte's Hawaa Hawaai, agrees that it'll be difficult going back to fighting with his sister, this time for reel, since, they now love each other like crazy. “But in this film I have to hate her because while my character has spent his youth in prison, his sister has lived comfortably at home and even has a boyfriend now,“ he reasons.

Interestingly, the siblings both come from an orthodox Muslim family. Their dad is a Dilip Kumar fan and the only film he's loved is Mughal-e-Azam. “My mom is the most filmy person I've known but growing up, our dining table conversations never revolved around films,“ says Saqib.

That's changed now. Their father, Saleem Qureshi, will open 'Saleem's from Delhi', a new restaurant in Dubai on April 8, his son's 27th birthday. And what are Saqib's plans after the horror film? “I'm going to beg Anurag Kashyap to sign me for his next film. Even though people dismissed Anurag Kashyap's No Smoking as a flop, I loved it,“ he says. “I'm dying to work with Anurag. Huma's career has spread across different genres and she'd like to do a happier film now, for a change. But the next one definitely won't be fun!“