The last time we watched the Indo-Canadian beauty on the big screen was in Deepa Mehta’s Water, where she played the enigmatic widow Kalyani. Lisa Ray will be seen once again in Indian theatres with her next film, the controversial I Can’t Think Straight. The movie, which was released in UK and the US in November 2008, is finally getting a theatrical release in India. This was, of course, not an easy task and the censor board only allowed the release after a lot of chopping. While she is excited about the release, Ray believes the movie does not deserve controversy. “It’s a family drama at its core, it’s about empowerment,” she says.

In the film Ray plays a London based Palestinian, Tala, who is preparing for her elaborate wedding. A few days before the wedding she meets Leyla, played by Sheetal Sheth, and they fall in love.

It’s interesting to note that Ray and Sheth have played lesbians in another film called The World Unseen, also with the same director, Shamim Sarif. On why she chose to play a similar character in both the films, Ray says “I don’t chose to play anything but a character. These were two interesting characters and strong roles. You need to see the films to understand.”

Ray tells us the response abroad has been overwhelming and the film has given her an entirely new international fan-base. “I’ve been told there are a lot of fan sites dedicated to Tala in China and Europe and videos on YouTube. People enjoy the film for what it is and we keep winning audience awards at various film festivals,” she says.

... contd.