Lisa Ray launches sari collection, says it tells a story

Indo-Canadian actress Lisa Ray has teamed up with Satya Paul, the label known for its signature print saris, to launch a limited edition of 10 saris. The actress, who battled cancer, wants to share the message of "victory and love" through her collection and part of the sales will go to a cancer centre.

"Launching Lisa Ray for Satya Paul on May 23 in Canada. These saris tell a story... and they are 'maha' sexy and vibrant," tweeted Lisa.

The 41-year-old, who was raised in Toronto by an Indian father and Polish mother, moved to India at the age of 16 to try her luck in showbiz.

From modelling to appearing in music videos of popular songs like "Afreen Afreen" and "Har Taraf Tera Jalwa" to doing Telugu film "Takkari Donga", Hindi movies "Kasoor", crossover cinema "Bollywood/Hollywood" and Oscar- nominated "Water", Lisa was active in showbiz in the 1990s and 2000.

But things took a sad turn in 2009, when she was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma, but after two years of treatment she was cancer-free and in 2012 she married Jason Dehni in California's Napa Valley.

In partnership with the Indian brand Satya Paul, Lisa has created an exclusive range of saris for this wedding season to share her life story.

"Living with Multiple Myeloma, I have learned that the progress of the human spirit doesn't stop with obstacles and challenging circumstances. I want to share my message of victory and love with others with the collection," Lisa said in a statement.

The collection, that is already available at the designer store in New Dehi and Mumbai, will now be available in Toronto.

Tami Esmail, president of Satya Paul Canada, says that "Lisa personifies the ideal Satya Paul woman - confident and courageous yet feminine and beautiful both inside and out".

A portion of the sales from the collection in Canada will benefit the Molly and David Bloom Chair at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre.

The Bloom Chair supports Multiple Myeloma research and the development of life-extending treatments for this treatable yet incurable form of cancer.