Lisa Ray’s campaign for celebrities to donate their hair to women who have lost their hair to cancer, would soon bring her to India and Bollywood where Lisa intends to request topnotch actresses to part with their tresses for this worthy cause.
On top of Lisa’s list of Bollywood divas with donative hair are Deepika Padukone and Priyanka Chopra.
Lisa explains why. “Deepika and Priyanka are two of the popular faces of mainstream Indian cinema. They are beautiful and talented and very of the moment. These days B-wood actresses experiment with their looks for roles, experiment with their hair lengths. I would love to see them cut and contribute their locks for the cause of creating a real hair wig for a cancer patient. What a statement that would make!”
Kalki Kochlin and Konkona Sen-Sharma are the two other actresses on Lisa’s lustrous locks’ list. “From alternative cinema these are the two actresses I admire for their sense of commitment. As Nandita Das, Shabana Azmi and I have at different times cut our hair for on screen roles, I feel these are the actresses right now who would do the same. Konkona has absolutely luscious Bengali locks.”
Lisa assures these divas that their hair would grow back without a care. “The thing about hair is it grows back! We really can afford to spare our hair for others. It also gives one a taste of what its like to go through treatment. Can you believe some women won’t even seek life-saving treatment due to their fear of losing their hair! We can help break this taboo.”
Having gone through the trauma of losing her hair to cancer Lisa knows the first-hand the trauma of a cancer-stricken woman’s loss of self-worth after hair loss. “Often when a family or friend is diagnosed with cancer, an individual will feel helpless to do anything to make the situation better. It can be very frustrating. But with my ‘Beautiful Lengths’ campaign, not just an individual but a community can come together to make a very real difference in a woman’s life by donating to make real hair wigs. This campaign unlocks the ability to for healthy women to act.”
Interestingly Lisa lost her hair even before cancer. “I have lost my hair twice: once was as the character Kalyani when my hair was cut on film for Deepa Mehta’s Water and then again as a cancer patient. I understand how women need a boost to their self-esteem during a time of treatment which is challenging emotionally.”
Lisa looks forward to bringing the campaign to India. “I would love to see this campaign come to India. I have friends in the entertainment industry here in Canada who are going to join the movement. I’m more interested in motivating young girls to start movements in their communities. I can think of many Indian actresses who would make a strong statement by contributing their beautiful locks. It just takes 8 inches of hair.My true purpose is to highlight awareness and invite people to care and act.As someone put it so well… not everyone has money to spare, but most have hair!”
