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By Mahek | Published on May 16, 2025

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Entertainment / May 16, 2025

Lisa Mishra On Her Bond With The Royal's Co-Star Bhumi Pednekar

And yet, here she is. The Chicago-raised singer and now-actor has taken a firm step into Bollywood's spotlight - this time not just with her voice, but with her presence on screen. After making her acting debut with Call Me Bae in 2024, Lisa is now earning rave reviews for her performance in The Royals on Netflix. Critics love her. Audiences are rooting for her. And Lisa? She's just taking it all in.

Lisa Mishra did not dream this life. Not because she didn't want it - but because it didn't feel like something she was even allowed to want. "I don't think I had the right to this dream," she says candidly, adding "It was so far-fetched, I couldn't even imagine it."

"I think it's been incredible," she says, referring to the success of The Royals. "I don't think we expected the series to grow to this level, especially because, you know, obviously, it's been a very tense week, all over India. But I'm glad that now slowly people are starting to feel a little bit more at ease, and, they can enjoy themselves and watch the show. And, hopefully, it continues to grow and people like it."

Getting the part wasn't easy. Lisa went through six to seven rounds of auditions. "They were very particular about casting," she explains. "Once I got the role and I was told, you know, these are the actors that this are locked. It's Ishaan Khatter, Bhumi Pednekar, Zeenat Aman ji, Sakshi Tanwar. I was in shock that I get to be part of something, of this level. And that too as a series on Netflix, which is just you know, it's a dream come true for sure," she quipped.

Finding Her Tribe on Set:

As for Ishaan, she describes him as "incredibly professional." Lisa is clearly still in awe of sharing screen space with actors she's admired for years.

Lisa talks fondly about her co-stars, especially Bhumi, who she now calls one of her closest friends. "We have an incredible friendship. We always have each other's backs, and she really is, like, an advocate for women, and she champions, her female friends all the time. So, I think I was just very lucky that I have a costar like this with me every single day for, you know, two, three months," she smiles.

Working with veterans like Zeenat Aman and Sakshi Tanwar brought its own kind of magic. "Zeenat ji is so effortless," she says. "She's great at improvising. She keeps things light. She's incredibly professional. She's always on time, makes no fuss. So I learned how to make a career out of this for the rest of my life," Mishra reveals.

Sakshi Tanwar, Lisa notes, brought a different energy: "She floats. She's so effortless, and she's so calm and still. She she was probably the calmest energy to be around and so kind, always asks about everybody and wants to know, you know, about our lives. And, all of us have grown up seeing her on camera. So it's incredible to be in her presence."

From Odisha to Chicago to Mumbai:

Born in Odisha and raised in Chicago, Lisa carries pieces of each place in her identity. "Odisha shaped me into being hardworking and humble and realising I'm not anybody fancy. I come from a very average Indian family. No glamour. Just hard work," she says. Her father is a banker, her mother a teacher-turned-professor.

"Chicago gave me freedom," she continues, saying, "I discovered my love of music and theater while I was living there."

And then came Mumbai. "I definitely think (Mumbai) has brought out the work ethic because you cannot survive in this city unless you work really, really, really hard. And especially this industry is so competitive. Entertainment in general is a very competitive industry," Lisa says.

Bollywood Wasn't Always the Plan:

But Mumbai has a way of sneaking ambition into you. She remembers: "Once I got here, I started auditioning, not expecting anything. I was already in rooms with musicians and directors because of my singing career, so I figured… why not try acting?"

Growing up on a diet of Dharma films and Shah Rukh Khan, Lisa never saw herself fitting into that world. "These icons don't feel within reach when you're watching them from afar," she admits. "I didn't even dream that big. I didn't know someone like me could do this," the Tareefan singer remarks.

The early days were full of rejection. "For the first four years, nobody cast me. I didn't speak Hindi. I had an American accent. But I put in the work - learned Hindi, softened my accent. It took years, but it paid off."

The Shift From Singing to Acting:

Lisa is not done singing. Not by a long shot. In fact, she'd prefer a world where she does both. "I am a lifelong musician. And a budding actor. Ideally, I want to be part of projects where I sing and act. I got to do that in Call Me Bae. Hopefully, in The Royals Season 2, I can contribute to the music too." Missing singing in The Royals, she jokes: "Y'all should let the producers know I need to be on the soundtrack."

Lisa prefers singing live as she feels "the energy is different. The feedback is immediate." It makes her push herself more.

No Godfathers, Just Grit:

Her parents, who live in Chicago, took the news of her career switch surprisingly well. "They said, you're young. Go try it. But come back if it doesn't work." She was a data analyst before she came to India. Navigating the entertainment industry without backing is never easy. Lisa admits to moments of doubt, saying, "I have often wished I started acting earlier. I didn't know it was even an option. If I had a mentor in this space, maybe things would have moved faster."

But she doesn't complain. "My debut was on Amazon Prime. My second series is on Netflix. I'd say it worked out," she says fingers crossed.

Her dream collaborator? "Imtiaz Ali. Always has been. Even before Chamkila. He knows how to tell emotional stories. I'd love to work with him," Lisa answers. Her next musical phase is romantic ballads. "Back to my roots," she says, adding, "If you liked Tareefan and Sajna Ve, you will love what's coming next. I have written and composed it myself. It's very personal."

Off screen, Lisa's passions are simple. "Food," she laughs. "I have a podcast with my best friend called Dish and That where we talk about food and music. I love cooking, travelling for food, entertaining. Total foodie."

Her Mother's Day this year was spent with a call home. "I've missed seven in a row now. I always go home around Father's Day. My mom thinks it's a conspiracy."

Advice to Young Women:

To young women eyeing a career in music or film, Lisa's message is clear: "Find your tribe of women. Build a community. Especially in music, which is male-dominated. Female engineers, lyricists, composers - work with them. There's something magical about women telling women's stories." With two series old, Lisa looks up to actors like Alia Bhatt and Janhvi Kapoor, who choose stories where women are central and strong.

Her is story is far from over. In fact, it feels like it is just beginning. Call Me Bae was the first step. The Royals is another. She keeps pushing with one show to another, learning and evolving. And hopefully, somewhere along the way, Lisa inspires young girls to chase dreams they didn't think they were allowed to have.

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