Lisa Mishra is not one to be boxed in labels. From viral YouTube covers to charting originals like Aadat, and Saza from her debut album titled Sorry, I’m Late (2024); she now seems to have found her footing on screen, first with her debut as an actor in Prime Video’s much loved series Call Me Bae (2024), and more recently, with the Netflix series The Royals (2025). In this exclusive conversation with The Movie Mail, the American Indian singer-songwriter turned actor opens up about her evolving relationship with music, the surreal challenge of acting alongside legends, portraying same-sex love with authenticity, and how she balances digital hustle with creative integrity in an AI age.
Edited excerpts:
From viral covers to originals—how has your relationship with music changed since your YouTube days?
A. I think my relationship with music is more personal now, and of course, it has evolved. Singing covers meant performing someone else’s lyrics and composition. But writing and singing my own songs is a huge shift. When I sing something that I’ve written, it’s my expression through music—it’s my story. So, it becomes my responsibility to deliver that to the listener in the right way and also be open to feedback. If people don’t like the song, it breaks my heart. But if they love it, I fly! Music, for me, is a way to express my lived experiences. My lyrics and compositions come from my emotions.
You acted in the Netflix series The Royals, and your performance was noticed. Was the acting gig tougher or more liberating?
A. I would say it was tougher than singing. The show was a massive project with a multi-starrer cast. We shot in real royal palaces, not sets, sometimes with 400 to 600 people on location. For the Maharaja’s coronation sequence, there were 600 people. For the fashion show scene, about 500. The scale was huge. And on top of that, I was working with iconic actors across generations — Zeenat (Aman) ma’am was a dream! Uff! And Sakshi Tanwar, Milind Soman, Ishaan (Khatter), Bhumi (Pednekar) —and then there was me! It was overwhelming. I had nervous energy at first, which I think is natural. Everyone made me feel comfortable, but inside, it felt surreal. These were actors I grew up admiring. So yes, it was tough, but I loved every bit of that energy.
You played a homosexual character in the series. Did you feel an added responsibility for accurate representation? Any nervousness?
A. Responsibility, yes. Nervousness, no. I’ll tell you why. I think audiences today aren’t shocked by seeing a same-sex love story anymore. We’ve evolved as a world. So it didn’t feel difficult to bring that to the screen. Of course, I had the responsibility to portray the character authentically. And the only way to do that was to treat it like any other love story — two people falling in love. I hope it came across that way and not like a caricature. It still has to feel like love. This is a story about two women who fall in love. I had to act it, not pretend it, and that’s where authenticity comes in.
As a new-age artist — singer, actor, live performer, and social media presence — how do you handle the multiple hats?
A. We’re in an era where people are becoming multi-hyphenated and that’s a global phenomenon. In the West, we have so many actor-singers, like Ariana Grande or Lady Gaga, who’ve also done films. It’s great that we have multiple avenues to express creativity. Even Picasso wasn’t just a painter. He was also a sculptor, a charcoal artist; he did everything. I think it’s wonderful that artists can express themselves the way they were always meant to. Creativity should never have limitations. As long as you’re putting in the effort to learn the craft — because art is craft — it’s a great thing.
You’ve built a strong digital presence. How do you balance authenticity with consistent content on social media?
A. I think they’re one and the same. When you switch from who you are on-screen to something else in daily life, people notice. In the digital age, people crave authenticity. They want to connect with a real person. So it’s my duty to show as much of my real self as possible. Of course, there’s a side of me that’s just for my loved ones, but there’s also a real side I share online and that’s me too. My authenticity also lies in the choices I make as an artist. I’ve always been vocal about equal opportunity and same-sex rights. So when I chose to play a same-sex love story in the series, that was a conscious choice. That’s me — my authentic self. I’ve always been about empowering women, and that reflects in my choices, my messaging, my songs, and my acting.
Considering AI can now write songs, scripts, and even do voiceovers, where do you see human artistry standing in entertainment?
A. Creative work is meant for the human touch. I don’t buy into the idea of AI writing my scripts, making my songs, or doing my voiceovers. Then what’s the point of calling ourselves artists? What would an actor’s job be — nothing? The more we rely on AI, the more we risk removing the human element. We have to remember — we created these tools. No matter how powerful the technology is, it still needs a human to build it. I believe AI should be used for tasks that humans can’t do, or repetitive ones where it can help with productivity. But not for creative work — like the songs I write or the articles you write. That’s our lived experience reflected in the art. Why should AI do that? I’m all for keeping things human in art and artistic expression.
