London: Actress Lisa Ray, who is better known for her role as young widow Kalyani in Deepa Mehta's critically acclaimed film 'Water', wanted to be a journalist but could not fulfill her ambition.

The actress, who is of Indian and Polish parentage, said, "I had initially wanted to be a journalist, but there were so many diversions on the way. I was more inclined towards writing and not acting, as I was shy and introvert."

Ray had finished her high school in Canada when she was first approached by a fashion magazine for her first modelling assignment. She later moved to India to seek better opportunities.

The actress was first noticed by the Indian filmmakers when she appeared in an ad opposite Karan Kapoor. She made her debut in films in 1994 with Tamil film 'Nethaji'.

Ray also made an appearance in Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's famous song 'Afreen Afreen' in 1996.

"I moved to India to see what opportunities existed, yet I was never really interested in Bollywood. I was offered many film roles, but I always refused these, as it was not in my outlook to be in Bollywood movies," Ray told leading British-Asian publication Asian Woman Magazine in an interview.

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