Model-turned-actress Lisa Ray is set to star in a new film ‘Water', but don't expect her to come out of a swimming pool in a bikini, for the film has been directed by crossover filmmaker Deepa Mehta.

Nandita Das and Shabana Azmi shaved off their heads to give their 100 percent in ‘Water', but destiny didn't want them to star in the film, and Lisa Ray got Nandita's role.

The former Miss India, who was voted as star of the future at the Toronto International Film Festival for her lively performance in Mehta's ‘Bollywood Hollywood', is very excited about her role in the film, opposite hunky John Abraham.

"I have a film coming out called ‘Water'. It's releasing in United States in April 2006 and that's going to be very wide release. So, I am very happy and excited about it," she said after unveiling the Rado Coupole Jubile limited edition range here.

‘Water' is set in the year 1938 when India was still under the colonial rule of British. This was the time when child marriage in certain sections of society was a bitter reality. The film also stars Kulbhushan Kharbanda and Waheeda Rehman, and was shown at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Ray, who grew up in Canada, surprised everyone by putting her thriving film career on hold. And after her sabbatical year in a top London drama school, she was cast in ‘Water'.

"I love Bollywood . I love watching films but as an actor it's not the kind of cinema I want to be a part of. There is no reason for me to be a part of Bollywood as I am born and brought up in Canada. I am only half Indian. I made India my home and India welcomed me, but at the end of the day, I think that my sensibility as an actor is a bit different," she said.

Ray has two soon-to-be released big budgeted English movies ‘Quarterlife Crisis' and ‘Seeking Fear' in the pipeline.

"I love acting, and it doesn't have to be in films only. I love theatres also. Thoguh I am very choosy, you will definitely be seeing me in some new projects very soon," she added.