Lisa Ray reflects on resilience and identity at FICCI FLO Chennai event

FICCI Ladies Organisation (FLO) Chennai hosted 'Lisa Unscripted – Life Beyond Boundaries', a conversation on identity, resilience and women’s lived experiences, in Chennai on January 29. The Federal was the media partner for the event.

The session brought together actor-writer Lisa Ray, one of South Asia’s earliest supermodels, in conversation with Shvetha Jaishankar, entrepreneur and co-founder of sports and talent management firm Globosport.

Also read: FICCI FLO Chennai backs mental health initiatives via Live Love Laugh partnership

The dialogue was part of FICCI FLO Chennai’s ongoing series of events focused on leadership, self-awareness and inclusive conversations beyond conventional business forums.

An unscripted conversation

The discussion between Lisa Ray and Shvetha Jaishankar flowed seamlessly across themes of resilience, choice, vulnerability and reinvention. Describing the idea of being “unscripted”, Lisa spoke of human lives as layered and unpredictable. Humans, she said, cannot always be neatly mapped, as they carry contradictions and unanswered questions.

Also read: Pico Iyer interview: ‘It’s the best in others that I feel most strongly in silence’

Reflecting on her cancer diagnosis (multiple myeloma) in 2009, Lisa spoke about resilience and survival. What kept her going, she said, was a certain stubbornness and the recognition of the body and mind’s capacity to endure. Humans, she noted, possess “incredible resilience”.

Family, she said, plays a central role in that journey. Taking care of one’s family, Lisa observed, is often an invisible but powerful force, something she described as a “supernatural power”.

Choice, change and identity

The conversation also touched upon how women navigate identity across different stages of life. Lisa spoke about the courage required to follow one’s choices, even when they do not align with public expectations. Life, she said, changes constantly, and learning to flow with those changes is often difficult.

Midlife, she noted, prompts deeper questions about who one is beyond assigned roles. At that stage, people are compelled to look inward and reassess priorities, values and relationships.

Also read: Tamil Nadu startup count surges sixfold; half led by women: CM Stalin

On female friendships, Lisa reflected on how connection evolves. With experience, she said, people begin to recognise which relationships are nurturing and where their emotional energy should be invested.

Addressing ageing and beauty standards, Lisa questioned who defines unrealistic expectations around beauty and youth. Ageing, she said, presents a choice, whether to resist it or accept it. Post-menopause, she noted, many women experience a shift away from people-pleasing, influenced in part by biological changes such as declining estrogen levels.

Writing, authenticity and quiet confidence

As a writer, Lisa described authors as her enduring heroes. Writing, she said, became especially significant when confronting mortality, as it reframed fear and loss. When faced with such moments, she asked, what is really left to lose?

On self-esteem and authenticity, Lisa spoke about what she described as “quiet confidence”, a state where one no longer feels the need to constantly prove oneself. Authenticity, she said, is something people intuitively recognise.

Also read: Mamaearth's Ghazal Alagh shares 'harshest lesson' she learnt while dealing with sexism

Kindness, she added, is undervalued in today’s world and must be consciously held on to. Taking responsibility for one’s own actions rather than others’, she said, is central to living with integrity. Values, she observed, are often discussed too little.

Intention and agency

The session concluded with reflections on intention and agency. Life, Lisa said, is not meant to be perfectly planned but bravely lived, designed through thought, belief and evolving choices.

She noted that platforms like FLO allow women to discuss not only professional challenges but also deeper issues around identity, health, ageing and self-worth.

FICCI FLO is the women’s wing of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), a pan-India industry body. Established in 1983, FLO has grown into a national network with 19 chapters and over 10,000 members, bringing together women entrepreneurs, professionals and leaders across sectors. The event underscored FLO Chennai’s role in creating spaces where women can engage with questions that extend beyond professional success to include meaning, resilience and self-definition.

Founded in 1992, the FLO Chennai Chapter has been active for over three decades and currently has a membership of more than 1,300 women from diverse professional backgrounds. Under the leadership of Niyati A Mehta in its 32nd year, FLO Chennai has expanded its programming to include conversations that engage with personal growth, cultural change and lived realities alongside business and leadership development.