She might not be seen on the big screen often, but Lisa Ray has enough on her plate to keep her busy. Working towards empowering women, aiding cancer patients, running a yoga studio - the actress has been doing things that she has always loved to. In a bareit-all conversation, Lisa tells us why she considers herself an 'accidental actress' and how she is at peace with the term 'cancer survivor'.

You were in Mumbai recently, and had also visited Bodh Gaya. Are you in the quest of finding inner peace?
I am frequently in Mumbai; it's my home. The concept of living in only one city is foreign to me. In fact, in the last two years, I've been more in Mumbai than Hong Kong as I was settling into our new flat. I'm also continuing my work in the field of cancer and women empowerment, as well as writing my memoir. I've spent six months in Dharamshala and was close to becoming part of a monastery. So, the inner pull towards Buddhism has always been strong. I believe that is partially why I'm here today and why I've been able to live with cancer remember, my condition is incurable. So, inner peace is no longer a luxury; it's a necessity to live in the world today.

Do you feel you have missed out on a potential career in Bollywood? You made a comeback with a brief role in Veerappan this year...
I never wanted a career in Bollywood. I've said 'no' more often than 'yes' and my 'no's have been directed to popular, mainstream directors and producers at the height of my fame in the mid-90s. My career has been a happy accident. By nature, I'm an introvert. So I've been a terrible misfit from the start. I was thrown into the business at 16 following a personal tragedy and I thought I'd do this for a year and then go on to a more normal life. This is my 25th year in the business and I've always followed my heart. For me, lasting in a fickle business for 25 years on my own terms is a huge success. For the past decade, I've had a career outside India where I had the opportunity to do everything - star in an Oscar-nominated film, screen test for a James Bond film, do a national stage production, become a travel ambassador, receive one of the most prestigious awards for service and even co-design a line of saris. It's been a fantastic run, while sticking to my own values.

Does it mean Bollywood has taken a back seat?
No, I have a film with Prawaal Raman and I'm looking at signing one more film. Honestly, it's not my main focus, but it's wonderful to do a film or two a year with like-minded people.

You have been vocal about your battle with cancer. What has the fight taught you?
Cancer has forced me to understand what is important in my life and focus on my personal priorities. It has also taught me that I'm more resilient than I thought I was. I believe true strength comes from inside. But I'm not special; everyone has the potential to overcome great difficulties.

Every time people use the term 'cancer survivor' to describe you, does it make you feel uncomfortable?
That's a good question. I think I've made peace with it; I think of it as something to be celebrated. The problem is that there's still so much fear and misinformation about cancer in India. I think sharing my story with people and telling them that I'm living with cancer and yet thriving is a good message. This year, I worked on a documentary about my cancer story and also about the promise of immunotherapy as a powerful treatment. I'm on medication, I do a blood test once a month, I still feel nervous before the results, but I also don't allow any of this to get into the way of living, and by that I mean really living a full life.

How difficult is it for anyone to make their way back into the glam industry after battling cancer?
I think B-Town is no more supportive or unsupportive about cancer than the general population. We are seeing more representation of cancer on screen and that's good to normalise it. Personally, I cringe when cancer is used as a dramatic device in a plot and the heroine dies of it. That's a type of exploitation. It's not that it doesn't happen, but there's no nuance and you are terrifying the audience. I will write a film about cancer from my perspective and believe me, it will be entertaining and uplifting without making things up.

Would you consider returning to modelling? Or grooming aspirants?
I'm a misfit in this industry and I've never done anything by the book. So my way of grooming aspirants would either be to tell them to find another profession or do their own thing. I don't even know how to do my own make-up. I have never been a quintessential model or actress; but honestly, neither were most of my friends from early modeling days. I don't have to work at all, but I choose to. I'm 44 and I enjoy doing occasional shoots, but don't put me in a box. I think my time is better spent writing, living and sharing my life experiences.