Mumbai, May 21 (IANS) Lisa Ray, who disappeared from Bollywood after the hit "Kasoor" and resurfaced with Deepa Mehta's "Water", says being a global gypsy explains her long absence from the Hindi film scene.

"I'm a gypsy and a global citizen. I don't need to belong to any one place or any one film industry. Particularly one that doesn't throw up challenging roles for women," Lisa told IANS.

"I'm flattered that Bollywood gave me any opportunities as I don't qualify as a typical heroine from any angle. So obviously, in terms of creative pursuits and satisfying myself as an actor, I'm finding interesting opportunities all over the world."

However, she adds: "I believe Hindi cinema is changing and if something challenging came my way, I wouldn't hesitate to consider it."

About desi heartthrob John Abraham, her co-star in the film, she says: "It was a pleasure working with John. He is professional, committed, generous, polite and talented."

Here are excerpts from an interview:

How did you get into Deepa Mehta's "Water"?

Deepa sent me the script for "Water" under a working title - "River Moon" - in December 2003. I loved the script, it was so lyrical and vivid. I wanted to be a part of this beautiful project because I greatly admire Deepa, love working with her and the story and script are extremely compelling.

Was it difficult for you to get into an era and emotions that were culturally and chronologically alien to you?

Playing the character of Kalyani was a great opportunity to immerse myself in a life and era I was unfamiliar with. While the era and circumstances of Kalyani's life are very different, all emotions are universal. I welcome the opportunity to portray challenging characters in meaningful cinema and I am grateful to Deepa for giving me this opportunity.