From Odisha to recording songs in parked car in Chicago to sharing screen with Ananya Panday and Zeenat Aman. Meet techie Lisa Mishra

In an industry where overnight fame often fades as quickly as it comes, Lisa Mishra is crafting something different- authenticity. Known for her velvety vocals and now her on-screen presence, this Indian-American artist has carved a place in both music studios and streaming platforms. But behind her rise is a journey that began far from the glamour of Mumbai or the lights of L.A. In a deeply personal conversation with Humans of Bombay, Lisa opened up about her unexpected leap from data analyst to viral sensation, and how a six-year-old girl from Behrampur, Odisha, found her voice in more ways than one.

Lisa recalls growing up in a joint family in Behrampur before moving to Chicago at the age of six. “My childhood was simple, but my parents wanted more,” she shared. It was in school, during a fourth-grade choir audition, that Lisa first stepped into the spotlight, singing a solo that would plant the earliest seeds of artistic ambition. “I still remember my first performance, my heart was racing, the choir behind me, and my dad in the audience with his recorder. I truly felt, this is where I belong.”

Still, like many immigrant children, Lisa chose a practical career path to make her parents proud. She became a data analyst. But her creative spirit never faded. “Every day during lunch, I’d sneak into my car and record covers,” she revealed. Then, one afternoon during the COVID lockdown, she uploaded a cover of Tareefan on Instagram. That one post would change everything. Rhea Kapoor messaged her with an invitation: “Come to Mumbai. Let’s record this.”

Days later, Lisa was on a film set with none other than Kareena Kapoor Khan. “I had grown up admiring her, and there I was, sharing space with her,” she said. The song became an instant hit, and the industry buzzed with the arrival of a fresh new voice. But rather than riding the wave in Mumbai, Lisa returned to Chicago, only to realise that her heart had already moved to India. So she packed her bags and came back. The transition wasn’t smooth. She faced rejections, with some even telling her, “You don’t sound Indian enough.” But Lisa persisted, working with artists like Badshah and Divine, slowly building a name for herself in the independent and Bollywood music scenes.

Five years later, she’s no longer just a voice behind hit songs, she’s on screen too. Her acting debut in Call Me Bae, produced by Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions, was followed by a role in The Royals, where she shared screen space with Ananya Panday and the legendary Zeenat Aman. “For some, I’m still the girl who went viral on Instagram. For others, I’m the voice behind Tareefan. But not many people know it all began in a quiet town in Odisha and in a car during lunch breaks,” Lisa said, reflecting on her story.