Saturday, March 13, 2010

Do you know Lisa Ray?

Do you remember this face? For those familiar with Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's music, she was the face of his really popular album 'Aafreen' - that ethereal beauty walking through the sand dunes of Rajasthan. Some also remember her in what I think were eminently forgettable films. Want instant evidence? A die-hard Bollywood enthusiast like me can't remember any without launching a google search. Oh..just another trivia - She was the Helen of Troyish face that launched the Evita soap in India and also the face of Garden Vareli, if I'm not mistaken. If I am, don't sue me.Right now, that's beside the point. A few months ago, I read about Lisa being diagnosed with a very rare kind of cancer that had no successful cure. My first reaction was, Oh what a tragedy. Years of addiction to the world of Grey's Anatomy, primarily to ogle at McDreamy and McSteamy had given me enough medical trivia to atleast pretend to understand the medical details listed...She was 36 or 37 and struggling to come to terms with her mortality... And somewhere along that time was when I think she started blogging. I remember reading her initial blogs filled with how she came to realise that, the warning signs her body gave her with increased bouts of lethargy and lack of energy as she describes the feeling of her world caving in when she heard the diagnosis. The blog was informative for me, but I put it away with a quick prayer that hope she finds her peace in her last days. Today a friend posted her latest post on her blog on facebook. And I revisted her blog. And what I read there had me in tears, literally. There was one of the prettiest woman laying her vanity bare - making light of it, for she had just been through a stem cell transplant..Her description of how she felt like explaining her bald appearance to a Customs Officer ( to say that Shampoo was proving to be very expensive)deserves a big Wow in my book. No pity me please, No hiding her plight. In fact, I gather from reading her blog that she even made a public appearance, with a wig on...and Indian news junkies would have probably caught Barkha the Barracuda interviewing her...I didn't and I don't really think I want to. But I would like to read this edition of India Todaz that talks about the path breaking cancer treatment that is being tried out on Lisa. To quote Lisa, Someone brings me the India Today. On the cover is an image from my blog. I’m thrilled- and puzzled. This is a surprise. I’ve always wanted to be featured on this cover but somehow the Indian version of Time neglected to let me know. Kinda like your friends organising your Birthday party, in your neighbour’s house. You hear the commotion next door and wonder why you weren’t invited- and isn’t it weird no one’s shown up to wish you on your big day? Infuriatingly endearing. And thanks.Because mostly it strikes me: This is an image that doesn’t manipulate. At least I hope not. Thank you India Today for urging people to see and feel. Illness is alchemy. I thought Lisa was extremely eloquent. She sure caught my attention.I wanted to leave a comment for her, but that just did not feel enough. Maybe it was her last line - Illness is alchemy - that made me write this post. Lisa, I wish that you heal completely from the bottom of my heart. Your blog does your spirit justice - the fight that you give your own disease-ridden cells...And the more people who are made aware of the gritty fight that you are putting on, the better will it be for the Fight Against Cancer. I want to do my two-bit too. And I'd encourage whoever happens to pass by my blog to take a moment to read Lisa Ray's experiences. For once, here is a face that launched a million products sharing her private ordeal in a way few have, with her head held high, choosing not to die in seclusion, but live like a fighter spreading awareness about a disease that is fighting her every inch of the way! A prayer for your health and a toast to your spirit, Lisa!!

15 comments:

  1. she is on my blogroll. yet, i find it difficult to click on her latest post. if it kills me to just read about her, wonder what it takes to live that life. she is a steel- woman, and yes, very eloquent. god bless her.

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  2. She writes really well! I've been reading her off and on. I think she's an amazing woman. I don't think I gave her much attention earlier.

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  3. Lisa's Blog is always inspiring to read at, I also thought one of the the striking points which she revealed in the blogpost was about the difference between an image that communicates and one that manipulates. Really moved by her article, God bless her.

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  4. Right, Primitive Lyric, I agree...What struck me most was the effortlessness with which she wrote what's in her heart....

    Ketchup girl, which was the comment that disappeared?? was it on inglourious bastards??

    And analyst: I wrote the piece with so much empathy..suddenly i feel like everyone was already at the townhall while i went about in my colony distributing handwritten pamphlets..you get what I mean??

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  5. when you have nothing left to loose, then all that is left to do is to let yourself loose... absolutely hats off to the lady's guts but also just as she herself points out some credit also goes to the times and media now... a relatively new media but just the availability of blogs and internet to voice unedited opinions is something that probably the praveen babis of yesteryears never had...

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  6. I have read her blog...'The Yellow dairies'...a strong woman who is ready to share her sorrow with the world...hope many like her find solace in her words.
    The girl, Jade Goody, who called Shilpa Shetty a 'papadom' was live on TV with her illness...she died on air too.

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  7. I had no clue about Lisa Ray. It's a lovely post. A link to her blog would've helped. Or maybe it's there and I didn't see it.

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  8. there was a link to her post...it was a hidden link in Lisa Ray..you may not have noticed it..But finally I'm glad that there was atleast one person enlightened as to who Lisa Ray was...All of my other readers were more familiar with her blog than I was which kind of defeated the purpose of my blog..:)

    thanks restless quill for reading my blog..hope you shall drop over more often.

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  9. I'm shocked!I didn't know this...I loved her in 'Afreen Afreen' and that movie with Aftab (forgettable)....I hope she makes it!

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  10. Nice Post Deepthy. I have been a fan of Lisa Ray's blog and she can WRITE! There is a lot of thought that goes into whatever she muses about and thats the best part. It just seems to flow.
    I was never a fan of Lisa's but having seen her fight it out and come out on top, I must say she is one celebrity I really respect. Otherwise, my despise for celebrities knows no bounds!

    Awesome read, and thanks for visiting my blog too!

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  11. Yippie yay!! Thanks Anjani for becoming one of the really few who were enlightened to Liza's blogs thanks to Word Sketches..Like I wrote earlier, I didn't realise I was a late entrant to reading Yellow Diaries till I blogged about it...

    And thanks Vinni, drop by sometime, anytime..
    Virtual e-chai is always on the house! ;)

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  12. I must say you completely feel the same what I feel for Lisa Ray. It's heartbreaking to be diagnosed by something which is incurable. In a way you loose hope, but she is not giving up.


    Her looks fascinated me even long before she entered into bollywood, I guess her song afreen afreen caught my attention. You must have noticed she hardly did bollywood masala movies, because she never did something for the sake of doing it.

    I was reading her interview and this is what she has to say about her condition:-


    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?

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  13. Btw thanks for the post I would love to write my next post about her.( I should have done that long time back)

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  14. Pooja, welcome to my blog, and thanks a lot for that comment...Arthur Ashe was a lovely gentleman himself...I remember feeling very upset when I got to know of his condition....Thanks for your comments and I'm glad my blog is making you do a post yourself...Do send me the link...Cheers

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  15. Hwy waz up?

    Finally I managed to write a post on Lisa Ray. Whenever you can please visit the following link.

    http://www.loveparadiseforyou.com/self-growth/lisa-ray-is-all-set-to-rock-the-world-all-over-again/

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