Known for her soulful tracks like Tareefan and Sajna, Lisa Mishra now finds herself on the sets of a fictional royal universe in The Royals, playing a queer best friend — a role she calls both empowering and deeply personal. In a candid chat with The Pioneer, singer-turned-actor Lisa opens up about her seamless transition into the world of acting, her character and more
Tejal Sinha
tejal.sinha30@gmail.com
From commanding the stage as a celebrated musician to now holding her own on the screen, Lisa Mishra has made a seamless transition into acting. After making her acting debut in Call Me Bae in 2024, she’s back with a spirited performance in The Royals, sharing screen space with industry icons like Zeenat Aman, Sakshi Tanwar, Bhumi Pednekar and Ishaan Khatter. In this candid conversation with The Pioneer, she reflects on her character Nikki, the empowering themes of the show, and how her musical roots continue to shape her artistic journey.
Lisa plays Niki, a headstrong and independent young woman based in Mumbai, a company run by her best friend, played by Bhumi Pednekar. “What really drew me to the role was that I got to portray a very strong female friendship. It’s rare to find a same-sex arc that’s written with such depth. Niki has this fun-loving side with all her hijinks, but she’s also extremely serious and motivated at work.”
Being part of a project that features veterans like Zeenat Aman, Sakshi Tanwar and celebrated actors such as Bhumi Pednekar and Ishaan Khatter is no small feat. Lisa calls the experience “humbling,” admitting she never imagined she would be on a set like this so early in her acting journey. “People wait their whole lives for opportunities like this. This is only my second series, my second time acting. So I felt an immense responsibility to do a good job. It was intimidating because these are people whose reputations precede them. I had to rise to the occasion.” The shift from music to acting has been a transformative one for Lisa, both emotionally and creatively. “It’s been exciting to step into this space. As a musician, I command everything — I’m the director, writer, composer, singer. Here, as an actor, you’re executing someone else’s vision. You have a responsibility to do right by them.”
Starting something entirely new at about 29 was initially intimidating, she admits. “I’ve been a musician since I was four years old. So the transition was very humbling — learning something from zero.” Despite her extensive experience in musical theater and live performance, stepping onto a film set was a different challenge. the Call Me Bae fame embraced it with rigor. “I prepped hard. I did a bunch of workshops. I didn’t want to give anyone any hesitation about why they cast me.”
Her debut in Call Me Bae helped lay a solid foundation for her work in The Royals, even though the two shows differ tonally and thematically. “One great thing about both worlds — Call Me Bae and The Royals — have empowered women at the top,” she points out. “In CMB, my character Harleen was the head producer of the most-watched news show. In The Royals, Bhumi plays a self-made CEO who is commanding and respected. Both series also put a spotlight on strong female friendships.”
While The Royals adds a layer of royal intrigue and legacy, Lisa’s character remains grounded in the modern corporate world. “That made the transition from Call Me Bae to The Royals easier for me than it would have been for someone playing royalty.”
While Lisa doesn’t play royalty in the series, she acknowledges that her musical background subtly influences her performances. However, she says it didn’t directly impact her portrayal of Nikki. “I think I got to play someone who’s just a normal person with an everyday life and job,” she says with a laugh.
Still, her years of expressing vulnerability through music helped her channel emotions as an actor. “It was liberating because it’s someone else’s vulnerability. As a musician, I play Lisa Mishra. There’s no persona — my music is very true to me. But as an actor, your job is to become someone new every day. It really expanded my artistry and challenged me in a cool way.”
Though The Royals deals with grand themes like power, legacy and secrets, her character Niki engages with these themes from a contemporary angle. “Niki is just trying to remain authentic to who she is and where she comes from. Our world has a very corporate structure. We’re dealing with business betrayals, not family feuds or royal intrigues. Niki’s job is to make sure Bhumi’s character, Sofia, feels confident and supported — just like any good best friend and employee would do in real life.”
One of the most striking aspects of The Royals is its visual storytelling — a grandeur captured not on sets but on real, historic locations. “We shot at City Palace, Samode, Amer Fort — massive structures hundreds of years old. It helped the art come alive.”
She imagines how impactful this must have been for the actors playing royalty. “The royal family of Jaipur was living in the City Palace while we were shooting there. I’m sure it helped the others fully embody their characters. For us, it was humbling. Like Niki and Sofia, we walked into those palaces thinking, ‘Wow, this is not our world.’” While her next acting project is yet to be confirmed, Lisa is more than ready for the challenge. “I’m up for grabs — please, cast me!” she jokes. “I’ve been lucky. My first role was with Amazon Prime, then with Netflix. Each role has grown from the last and I hope my next character has even more depth and screen time.”
Musically, fans won’t have to wait long. “My next song is coming out in a few weeks,” she teases. “It’s a beautiful love ballad — the kind people have always loved from me. I’m going back to what the audience truly enjoys in my work.”
