Cinematical Interview: Lisa Ray

1996 was the year that filmmaker Deepa Mehta released Fire, a film about a lesbian relationship in modern India. It was the first part of her element trilogy -- poking a stick at various 'elements' of Indian traditionalism -- and after its first screening in an Indian theater, rioters burned that theater to the ground. The second part of the trilogy, Earth, explored the fractious relationship between India and Pakistan, and got a similar reception. In February 2000, Mehta began filming the concluding chapter, Water, which points a finger at the Hindu tradition of shunning widows. Such was the atmosphere that the film crew had to be escorted to the set every day by anti-riot brigades.

The director was burned in effigy and editorials were published advocating that she be beaten "black and blue." A well-organized mob of enraged Hindu activists, backed by powerful political parties, finally attacked and destroyed the film's sets, forcing a costly relocation out of India and a long delay in shooting. [Note to fans of V for Vendetta -- this is controversial filmmaking.] The Indian government's withdrawal of support for Water in the face of violence caused outrage among filmmakers worldwide. George Lucas famously took out a full-page ad in Variety, threatening never to work in India.

Water was ultimately finished under a cloak of secrecy in Sri Lanka, with a new cast that included Indian-Canadian actress Lisa Ray in a leading role. Sometimes referred to as the 'Indian Angelina Jolie,' Lisa is a world-renowned beauty and former model who first got noticed in the film Bollywood/Hollywood, a jab at the existential silliness of Bollywood musicals. Her role in Water, as a young widow facing horrendous discrimination, is a dive into the deep end of the pool of social criticism cinema. Cinematical recently spoke with Lisa about Water.

Ryan: As you know, there was a good deal of controversy surrounding the making of this film. The production ended once in disaster when the sets were burned and trashed by Hindu fanatics who perceived the film's message as anti-Hindu. What's your general take on all of that?

LR: I wasn't involved when Deepa made the first attempt, but it was so well-publicized that I was well aware of it. Then Deepa sent me the script. She sent it under a working title -- she didn't tell me what it was. It had some really cheesy title like River Moon or something like that. As soon as I read it and realized it was Water I just thought 'wow,' what a privilege it would be to be a part of this. If anything, the controversy surrounding it was an even more compelling reason to be a part of it. It's the triumph of the artistic, or the human spirit, over fundamentalist forces. I think that's the only way it affected me -- it only made me more determined to be part of the project. Of course, I would have wanted to be a part of this project on its own merits.

Ryan: Do you know if the film is going to get a release date in India? It would be a shame if it didn't, after all of this.

LR: I totally agree. At the same time, having said that, in terms of the sensibility of the film, it's not really an Indian film. The overriding sensibility of Indian films is Bollywood, and this is not a Bollywood film from any angle. That's what the audiences there are used to. Bollywood films are very camp, very over the top, there's singing and dancing, and in general they're not that serious. So it wouldn't necessarily appeal to that audience. But it should be seen there. It must be seen there, because it's important. And the audiences there are growing up. I know that there was a screening of the film recently in Bombay. I actually got e-mails from friends of mine there, and I had no idea they'd gone to see it. And they were so moved. It was so encouraging to hear people's reaction.

Ryan: Tell me a little bit about the research that went into this role. It must be quite a challenge for a modern, native Canadian to get into the mind-set of a pre-Independence Indian woman. Did you even speak Hindi?

LR: I do know Hindi, but I'm not fluent in it. It's far from my first language. Having said that, my diction and my pronunciation is not very good, so I had to work really hard on it to get it up to speed. I did so much research for this film. I did everything possible. And then I kind of threw it all away when I got to the set, because that's what you have to do. But I certainly read a lot, I researched widows, I went and lived in a village in India to pick up the body language.

Ryan: That must have been a culture shock.

LR: It was a little freaky, yeah. But I'm familiar with India; I've spent a fair amount of time there. But I had never lived in a village. It helped a lot in building the character. I also went to a place where I actually saw and spent time in a widow ashram which was very similar to the one that's portrayed in the movie. It exists to this day -- widows living pretty much exactly the way they're portrayed in the movie.

Ryan: I've heard the film is doing extremely well at the Canadian box office, since opening the Toronto Film Festival. It's apparently breaking some box office records there. Kind of unexpected, no?

LR: It's really hit a chord. It's a very universal film, and it's a really unusual film. It seems to be of a very specific time and place, in a particular community of people, and yet it shows how common we all are and how common the human condition is. We all feel the same way, we all love the same way, we feel sorrow, we have the same conflicts and dreams, and aspirations. Also, there's a certain amount of injustice everywhere in the world. I think you're sort of missing the point if you think the film is wholly about widows in India. I think that's why it's done so well in Canada. People have come out, having gotten very different things from the movie, and saying 'I'm gonna open my eyes and look at my own community.'  A Greek woman came up to me and said 'I never realized, but we did similar things to our widows.' So it's been really interesting, the reaction.

Ryan: I'm sure the film's acclaim has opened a lot of doors. What direction do you see your acting career going after this? Do you want to pursue a career in American films?

LR: Yes, very much. Because I'm from 'here.' I've lived all over the world for the last little while and I was in London for three years in drama school. I want to be able to work in American cinema and American projects. Or just projects that have a sensibility that I can appreciate.

Ryan: What kind of sensibility do you appreciate? I read somewhere that you also want to pursue writing projects of your own. Is that true?

LR: I do. It's something that I used to do a lot more of in the past, and I'd certainly like to be able to do more of it in the future. But I'm not sure exactly what shape it would take. In terms of my personal taste, I'm more of an indie film kind of a gal. Not that I would turn down a big studio film to subsidize my real love. But it's an interesting journey I'm on right now. I'm really looking at expanding my range.

Ryan: Tell me a little more about the perceived audience for this film. As you said earlier, it's an Indian film, but not. It's not really directed at Indian audiences, and it's doing big business in surprising places.

LR: It's such a word-of-mouth film. It's difficult on paper to convey what it means to experience watching this movie, you know what I mean? Cinematically, it's very beautiful. The best kind of cinema pulls you into a different world and you take a journey with those characters. That's what a beautiful cinematic experience is. That should be open and available to everyone; I think everyone can respond to that. I went to a screening in Jersey yesterday, and en route there I was thinking 'Oh my God, how are people going to react out here in Jersey?' and it was an amazing reaction. People were so moved. They laughed and cried. They went along for the entire journey. Everyone stayed for the Q&A afterwards, and they asked really interesting, penetrating questions. And it was a really mixed audience. So if you give it a chance, it's definitely an experience.

Ryan: Do you plan to work with Deepa Mehta again?

LR: Yes, definitely. This is my second film with Deepa. I would basically do anything that Deepa asked me to.

Ryan: Even shave your head, apparently.  [Lisa's hair is hacked off in the film]

LR: Yeah! I think I've proven myself that way! I'd even do background for Deepa. She's not just my director and friend, but a mentor.