New Delhi, Jan 13: Actor Lisa Mishra says she wanted to be in front of the camera since she was a teenager and when she landed her first web series “Call Me Bae”, she was clear about keeping her singing and content creator personas aside.
The 30-year-old played Harleen Babbar, a headstrong news producer in 2024’s “Call Me Bae”, a Prime Video comedy-drama set in the world of TV journalism. Fronted by Ananya Panday, the web series is directed by Colin D’Cunha and produced by Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions.
Mishra, best known for singing the reprised version of the song “Tareefan” and party-anthem “Chandigarh Mein”, said she was “overwhelmed” when viewers told her that Harleen seems like a real person.
Asked if one can be stereotyped as a content creator when they are entering the field of acting, she said it can happen if a person falls into the trap of relying too much on themselves as an influencer.
“I was clear when I got this role that this should have nothing to do with me being a musician or a content creator. I like that I was able to keep the role (in ‘Call Me Bae’) separate from my career as a musician and content creator,” Mishra told PTI in an interview.
“I take my work seriously as an actor and I put my best foot forward… Lisa Mishra, the actor, and Lisa Mishra, the singer, are two separate human beings. If I can design the rest of my career to be like that I will be really happy,” said the actor, who started her YouTube channel in 2007 when she was 13.
Getting to play a character like Harleen who “closely mirrors” her real personality is a blessing, she added.
“I am very much that person that struggles sometimes between doing the right thing and what makes you successful or get ahead in life. I know that a lot of women, especially in corporate places, have to play nice with the devil… but nothing should come at the cost of your values.”
Mishra, who moved to the US when she was just six years old, said working in a show backed by Karan Johar was beyond her dreams as she grew up watching films directed by him.
“He is like a god. He helped an entire nation dream, like you can end up in London or New York. So, we were watching films like ‘Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham’ like 100 times. I know the entire movie by heart.
“I know ‘Kal Ho Naa Ho’ and ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’ by heart. That whole incredible era of Karan Johar and Shah Rukh Khan was a very big part of my upbringing. So imagine my shock when I learnt that I was going to be on a Dharma show. It doesn’t hit me even now,” she added.
The actor, now based out of Mumbai, will return as Harleen in the second season of “Call Me Bae”. She will next be seen in the Netflix series “The Royals”. (PTI)
