Cancer-stricken Lisa Ray, who has shown commendable courage in the face of adversity, will be making her first public appearance ever since she revealed about her illness. The lady will come to the posh Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto, where she will walk the red carpet with Deepa Mehta and her brother for the Gala premiere at the Toronto Film Festival. Lisa has just winded up a - ‘Cooking With Stella’ with Deepa’s brother Dilip Mehta.Director Deepa Mehta, who worked with the actress for ‘Water’ said, “I knew about her illness two months ago. She told me. It was hard to believe. She wanted to keep it very private, and rightly so. Only her close friends and family knew. Which is why when Lisa blogged about her illness, I was surprised. It was very courageous of her. I think she decided that by coming out in the open about the illness she would not only be able confront and overcome the sad situation, but also encourage others in similarly troubled spaces to fight and win over their illness.”
“I met her last a few weeks ago. She is the epitome of grace under pressure. Truly exemplary! We had fun doing the Bollywood/Hollywood film. As for ‘Water’, no one seemed to believe she could pull off the role of a Hindi widow in the 1930s. But she did,” Deepa further said.
“We’re looking at a woman who is a portrait of courage. She will do the red carpet proud,” says Deepa passionately. “I remember when Lisa was shooting for ‘Cooking With Stella’ she was having so much fun with all of us. There was no sign of the illness. The only outward manifestation of the crisis to come was her loss of appetite. I remember telling her on the sets, ‘Lisa, you aren’t eating anything.’ She’s going to defeat this crisis. Lisa is a fighter.”
What matters in a fight is the spirit and Lisa Ray is an ideal fighter!
