Despite being diagnosed with a rare type of cancer a while ago, Bollywood beauty Lisa Ray braved her illness and walked the Toronto International Film Festival red carpet today at the premiere of her new movie, "Cooking With Stella."

Film director and friend Deepa Mehta, whose brother Dilip Mehta directed "Cooking With Stella," expressed her high esteem for the former Miss India-Canada title-holder, who keeps living her life in spite of all her troubles:

"We’re looking at a woman who is a portrait of courage. She will do the red carpet proud. I remember when Lisa was shooting for "Cooking With Stella." She was having so much fun with all of us. There was no sign of the illness. The only outward manifestation of the crisis to come was her loss of appetite. I remember telling her on the sets, ‘Lisa, you aren’t eating anything.’ She’s going to defeat this crisis. Lisa is a fighter."

Lisa recently blogged about her illness and said she was determined to survive: "I believe it can be cured. That’s the Dirty Realist in me."

Well done Lisa Ray for braving the disease and showing up at the premiere of  "Cooking With Stella."