After donning a bold red swimsuit for the cover of the Indian magazine Glad Rags, Lisa Ray found herself suddenly in the spotlight—offers from the entertainment world started pouring in almost overnight. But, you know, acting wasn’t actually Lisa Ray’s original dream. Before the cameras and scripts came into play, she had her heart set on journalism. In fact, Lisa Ray even took some time to study it back in Canada, hoping to build a career behind the scenes rather than in front of the lens. However, life had other plans. When her mother suffered a near-fatal car accident, Lisa Ray made the heartfelt decision to return to India, a turning point that eventually led her toward embracing acting more seriously.
And honestly, it worked out pretty well. By 2001, Lisa Ray landed a major break with a lead role in the Bollywood mystery romance Kasoor. The film caught serious attention, and it didn’t take long for acclaimed Canadian-Indian director Deepa Mehta to notice. Impressed by Lisa Ray’s performance, Mehta cast her as the charismatic pop singer Sue in the vibrant 2002 cross-cultural comedy Bollywood/Hollywood. That collaboration was just the beginning—Mehta trusted Lisa Ray again for her 2005 romantic drama Water, a powerful film that went on to earn an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film. Naturally, this boosted Lisa Ray’s profile even further, solidifying her status as a rising international talent.
As the years rolled on, Lisa Ray began shifting gears. By the late 2000s, she was mostly focusing on English-language projects. She appeared in the 2007 western All Hat, delivered a gripping performance in the 2008 thriller Kill Kill Faster Faster, and brought charm to the 2009 comedy Cooking with Stella. Not limiting herself to film, Lisa Ray also stepped into television—making a guest appearance on the popular American sitcom Psych in 2009. Then, in 2011, she took on a recurring role in the Canadian crime drama series Endgame, proving once again that Lisa Ray could adapt and thrive across genres and mediums.
When it comes to Lisa Ray’s film career, her performance in Water (2005) stands out as her highest rated movie, earning widespread acclaim and solidifying her reputation as a talented actress. On the other hand, Lisa Ray also appeared in I Can’t Think Straight (2007), which, while meaningful in its own right, received more mixed reviews and is considered her lowest rated film to date. Over the years, Lisa Ray has continued to make impactful choices in her roles, but it’s Water that remains a highlight in Lisa Ray’s cinematic journey.