Deepha Mehta and Lisa Ray
Before getting started on the interview with Lisa Ray, I strongly suggest reading the article I posted a few days ago on the film Water. In that article I interviewed Deepa Mehta, the writer and director of the film, and I also gave my thoughts on why you should see the movie.

In case you just want to hear Lisa Ray speak…Water takes place in the late 1930’s, at a time of upheaval in

India when Gandhi was beginning his ascension to prominence. At the time in India, child marriage was still an accepted part of society and practiced regularly. The problem was that when a husband died, the widow would not be allowed to remarry, and instead of starting over she would be forced to live in ashrams, or institutions, where other widows just like her would live out their days. Now imagine you were a child, maybe around the age of eight, and one day your parents told you that you were getting married. Now imagine a few weeks go by and all of a sudden your husband dies. For the rest of your life you are forced to live in an institution and not remarry, not able to do anything more except pray. The film Water follows an eight-year-old widow on just such a journey.

On the same day that a group of us interviewed Deepa Mehta, we also interviewed Lisa Ray. Listening to Lisa speak, you could tell she was extremely interested in the project. At the time that they were making Water, Lisa was in drama school in England. She actually had already acted in a bunch of films, but decided she wanted some more training. Part of the requirement of the school was while you are studying, you cannot take on work, except for special circumstances. After reading the script, Water became just one of those instances. During the interview Lisa discusses many things, one of the main points she stressed was how she wants to act in projects that mean something to her. Something else that came across was just how smart of a woman she is. In my years in Hollywood I have met quite a number of actors, either out at night, through friends or for interviewing purposes. While I will not say anything bad about certain actors that I have met, I will say Lisa came across as someone you could meet in any other city and have a conversation about anything. Oh, one other thing, she is stunningly beautiful. Before she got into acting, she was the M word. Model. During the interview she also discusses how she hates being known as a model, as she feels people stereotype models and she wants to be an actor. Watching the film, this is not a problem, as her performance is part of the reason this film works.Overall she has a lot to say, and it is definitely worth hearing. Sorry there is no written transcript, in the future I am working on having both.To listen to the interview click here. Remember if you want to save it for later, or listen on your iPod or other mp3 device just right click on the link and save the link to your computer.If you don’t live in Los Angeles, here are the details on when Water might be playing around your neck of the woods.If you live in the Los Angeles area, WATER is playing at:Monica - Santa Monica.Pacific Arclight - Hollywood.Paseo Camarillo Cinemas - Camarillo.And in the following theaters in Los Angeles area on May 5th:Laemmle’s Fallbrook 7 – West Hills.Town Center – Encino.South Coast VillageSanta Ana, CA.Playhouse – Pasadena, CA.Water will also open in New York and San Francisco on April 28th and will be nationwide June 30th.If you want to see the trailer you can watch it here.If you want to listen to Deepa Mehta’s interview, click here.the cast of the film Water