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This is a great way to have a repository of all Lisa’s print interviews

Lisa’s ‘Ray’ Of Hope Inspiration To Many
By: Usha Prasad, Feme Fashions Bureau, Bangalore | 18 Feb 2010

Cancer is a scary word, which, in a majority of cases, hits the expiry date of one’s life sooner than it ought to be. And it is a well established fact that it is actually the number two killer in the western world.

How would individuals react to the news of being diagnosed with a killer disease called cancer? As quoted in a health website, “They either treat the news as a death sentence, and curl up in bed and wait to DIE! (A very poor choice)” or “Treat the news as a serious challenge, and then make a conscious decision to FIGHT ... and to WIN! (A great choice.)”.

Fighting cancer is not going to be easy for anybody. But there are many around us who have fought the dreaded disease successfully. Canadian-born fashion model and actress, Lisa Ray, is a shining example of a bold and strong woman who fought cancer with a smile on her face.

Thirty seven-year old Lisa was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma (MM), a rare bone marrow disease, in June 2009. What makes Lisa stand apart from other cancer patients is her strong will to fight the disease by being honest and open about it with the whole world.

Lisa has been blogging about her disease and treatment procedures on ‘Yellow Diaries’ since then. Weeks after announcing that she has been diagnosed with cancer, the sizzling actress was in Toronto to promote her forthcoming film ‘Cooking with Stella’ at the Toronto Film festival last September. This showed the strong hopes she had to combat the disease.

In spite of painful treatment procedures, chemotherapy sessions and also getting her lustrous locks shaved, Lisa refused to curl up in bed and cry over her fate. In a recent post on her blog, Lisa has mentioned about the Stem Cell Transplant. She says, “It was an odyssey. A trip to the core. The marrow had its way. Now I’m full of cheerful stem cells, like fields of sunflowers I travel inside and watch them turn their small, yellow faces towards me. They giggle and beam. Go forth and multiply.”

Lisa’s roots are deep rooted in India as well. Born to a Bengali father from India and a Polish mother, Lisa started young in her modelling career at just 16. Her first ad campaign was for Bombay Dyeing. She was also featured in the famous song "Afreen Afreen" by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan in 1996. Though she made her debut in films through a Tamil movie in 1994, she entered Bollywood in 2001 and did a couple of movies. However, of late Lisa, has been away from India and been working in Canadian films and productions from UK and the United States.

Feme Fashions caught up with the gorgeous actress, who was in India to promote Rado watch at the inauguration of its new boutique in Bangalore. Lisa, who had been missing in action for a little while now, said, “This is kind of a celebration to me, coming out in life again. I have finished my treatment and I am doing really well.”

In a message to other cancer patients, she said, “It is a very hard thing for an individual to manage such a situation. Fighting cancer is not so simple. Every one has a difficulty in coping with difficult situations. Personally, it was the interconnectivity between people and being open and honest about my illness changed a lot of things for me. These things have helped me heal very quickly. You cannot get support if you don't talk about the disease.”

Lisa is awaiting the release of her film Cooking with Stella, a fun film which has been shot in Delhi. “Lot of other projects are being discussed, but I am thinking more about healing right now,” she says.

Lisa’s take on watch as a fashion accessory

For Lisa, who is the brand ambassadress for Rado, fashion defines the personality of an individual. “It is a matter of individual choice. Not everyone is a watch person, and again within the category of watches, every piece you buy has a reflection on your personality and the choices you make. It is about understanding who you are,” she sums up.

The ‘Dirty Realist in her’, as Lisa calls herself, believed that her illness can be cured. And her presence with an intoxicating smile and hope-filled eyes was testimony to successfully leading the second innings of her life.


Source: http://surchur.com/tb/lisa+ray/http://digg.com/health/Lisa_s_Ray_Of_Hope_Inspiration_To_Many

LOVELY LISA

‘Life is a constant evolution’

Megha Shenoy

From anchoring, modelling, starring in music videos to acting, the glamour world got the best of Lisa Ray.

But then life hit a pause button when she realised she was suffering from multiple myeloma, a rare form of cancer, in which, the plasma cells multiply in the bone marrow and the red blood cells get squeezed. In deep shock, the actress stopped everything she was doing, and looked deep within for the strength to battle it out and even help others like her fight the disease.

In the City for the launch of the Rado Watch Store, Lisa looked more glamourous and confident than ever. As she sat down for a chat with Metrolife, one couldn’t miss her charming smile. If one says life has changed, it’s like stating the obvious. But then, she says there is so much that has not changed. “I am still the idealistic person that I was, with the same fears, on a look out for truth,” says Lisa.

Though she has stopped shooting in order to recover, she does have a couple of releases in the pipeline. Cooking With Stella is one of her upcoming films that she loved working in.

“It was a fun experience but I am bound by contract and can’t speak anything about it. But I can tell you that I play a diplomat in it.” Having acted in many English movies made by Indian film-makers, Lisa says it’s a genre she is comfortable in. But for someone who has had no qualms about working in different languages, she says, “I respond to the script.

When I read a script, in my heart, I want to feel the film. That’s when I choose it,” says Lisa, whose all-time favourite role has been the one she essayed in Water. “It was really high on energy and the medium of artistry was lovely,” she adds.

She even recollects a movie she had done with Shivarajkumar in the City and says that it was something she took up because she wants to try everything in life. “Life is a constant evolution. No one knows what’s going to come next. That’s why I have stopped over-analysing things and have started living in the present. I am willing to try and experience different things at least once,” she says.

What is that one thing she has always wanted to experience? She catches you off guard as she says, “Milking a cow.” And adds, “It’s not about complications, but about simple things. One should make life as simple as possible. That way one can absorb many things easily,” she signs off.


Source:http://www.deccanherald.com/content/53435/life-constant-evolution.html

Posted: 03 March 2010

SUNSHINE GIRL

SUBHA J RAO
February 19, 2010


Actor and brand ambassador of Rado, Lisa Ray during a promotional event of the company in Bangalore.
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Lisa Ray on her tryst with cancer, her blog, and learning to live again

Lisa Ray is back, looking as gorgeous as she did when she first wowed audiences with her hour-glass figure, porcelain skin and a walk that set the ramps on fire. And, but for her blog (Yellow Diaries — http://lisaraniray.wordpress.com), you really wouldn't know what she's been through — her battle with multiple myeloma saw her getting puffed up, losing hair, and undergoing long, painful treatment sessions.

A warm smile envelops her face as Lisa, looking a million bucks in a figure-hugging ensemble, begins to talk about what prompted her to write. Her first entry was on September 6, 2009, and the very next day, she told the world what had been ailing her. Letters of support poured in by the hundreds. “I've always been passionate about writing. It's something I've always wanted to do, but life took on a different direction. When I was diagnosed with cancer, writing was a great way to cope with it. And, I'm delighted people have responded to it in the way they have. It was cathartic writing about my experiences,” says the former model, who was in town to launch the new RADO boutique at Ampa Mall.

And, Lisa manages to get people to smile even when she's talking about recuperating from a recent stem cell transplant. She writes: “Now, I'm full of cheerful stem cells, like fields of sunflowers. I travel inside and watch them turn their small, yellow faces towards me…” Lisa says this positive attitude comes from the fact that she has treated cancer as “just another adventure” in her action-packed life.

“Honestly, I don't know where this attitude comes from, but this was how I dealt with it. Initially, there was an information overload. Slowly, I began to process what was happening. And, writing helped me see it in better perspective. It was reflective of what I was going through at that point in time.”

She says it helped that she landed in a great clinic (Princess Margaret Hospital, Canada) and that there are newer modalities for treatment now.

CREATING AWARENESS

Lisa also took the time on hand to introspect and raise awareness about things such as insurance cover for crucial illness. “We don't think we'll ever need it. I did not, too, but we need to be prepared,” she says. “And, I thought it was important to share my experience.”

So, what has coping with cancer taught her? “Well, no one can come out of the experience the same. It made me think. I now think about what I'm going to do with my time, and the power of community. Earlier, I was independent, and used to think I could do everything by myself. Now, I know that I can draw so much support from family and friends; that we are all part of the same home!” she exclaims.

The event for RADO, a brand she has been associated with for a very long time, says Lisa, is a celebration of that positive spirit. “It's just been a few weeks after my stem cell transplant, and I'm officially recuperating, but this was a wonderful opportunity to re-engage with life,” concludes Lisa.

Keywords: actor Lisa Ray, cancer, blog, RADO,

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Source:http://beta.thehindu.com/life-and-style/metroplus/article109584.ece?homepage=true

Thanks Sly.

No self-pity for Lisa Ray
20 Feb, 2010 0000hrs IST TNN[ TARUNYA SURESH ]


MISS SUNSHINE:
One look into her ocean blue eyes and you instantly realise that her passion and zest for life burns bright. They are the eyes of a survivor who brushes off her fight against multiple myeloma with nonchalance. In the city to launch Rado’s first showroom, Lisa Ray is a picture of perfection. Tell her she looks like a million bucks and she flashes a dimpled smile. “Must be all the fresh stem cells. I just finished my transplant and I feel so good. It’s almost like I’ve had a rebirth.”

Diagnosed with an incurable form of cancer of the white blood cells, how does she manage to cope on a daily basis? She allows herself a pensive look. “I feel like I’m on the other side now. I am officially drug-free and recuperating well. I’m not one to wallow in self-pity. Every day is not a struggle; it’s actually a marvellous experience,” she says.

So, did the cancer call come as a bolt from the blue? “Well, yes and no. See, my symptoms were very general. I would feel tired most of the time and I would think to myself, ‘Well, in today’s fast-paced world, everybody does suffer from fatigue and stress. I’m no exception to the rule.’ When I was finally diagnosed, strange as it seems, there was a sense of relief because I knew what the problem was, and hence, the treatment became much easier,” she says with a quiet dignity in her voice.

Isn’t it only natural though to feel anger at being subject to such a condition? “I was so hoping you would ask me this question,” Lisa says, “Let me compare my situation to the predicament that the inimitable tennis champion Arthur Ashe, who contracted HIV during the blood transfusions he received during his second heart surgery. When a reporter asked him whether he felt angry about his condition, he said, ‘Well, if I were to question that, then I would also have to ask God why he gave me all the fame, success and money right?

Apart from being a leading model, Lisa also entered Bollywood with a bang and went on to do a couple of noteworthy films. But, there is much more to her than fashion and films. She’s incredibly passionate about the cause of gay rights, something that is well-documented in her choice of films, I Can’t Think Straight and The World Unseen being her most recent.

So, what does life look like from here on? “As much as I’d like to say a bed of roses, I don’t think that’s the case. I had to drop out of a couple of projects because of my illness, but now, I have a lot to look forward to. Besides Cooking with Stella (which also stars Shriya Saran and Seema Biswas), there are also a couple of French films lined up. Right now, I feel like I’m ready to take on the world. Bring it on, baby!”

Liaisoning with Lisa

I would like to colour my life...
Yellow, because it is the colour of the solar plexus and the third chakra.

Film I wanted to be part of
I was supposed to be one of the Bond girls in Casino Royale, but fate had other things in store.

A song that describes my life
Yellow by Coldplay


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Source: http://m.timesofindia.com/PDATOI/articleshow/5592832.cms