Quivers, films and culinary — Lin Laishram celebrates the joy of following dreams

For actor, entrepreneur, and now co-owner of the Prithviraj Yodhas, Lin Laishram, everything feels like a full circle — from the bow and arrow her father hung in their home to owning a team celebrating the sport she grew up with. She calls it a homecoming, recalling how her father introduced the sport to Manipur and instilled a deep love for it in his children. “To finally have a league in India and be a part of it feels really big, not just owning a team but giving these athletes a chance to shine,” she says.

Lin Laishram hits right on bullseye as she talks about growing up with archery, taking on multiple roles and how food connects us all...

Lin’s journey spans multiple roles: national-level archer, model, actor, entrepreneur. “Sports was part of me growing up. I played till junior level, but an injury stopped me from pursuing it further. Then came studies, modelling, acting, entrepreneurship — and I’ve loved every role,” she shares, laughing about her time at Tata Archery Academy. “We were meant to sleep, drink and talk archery, nothing else!” Even now, the stance, and focus remain embedded in her muscle memory. “Whatever I do, all these experiences add up, and I feel I’m the world’s luckiest person to have experienced so many things in one lifetime.”

Moments from her competitive days remain vivid. At the nationals in Chandigarh during Lin’s early years, having just broken her own record, she was asked to demonstrate a shot in front of the then chief minister and officials. “I took three arrows and all three hit bullseye! I still get goosebumps,” she recalls, with a playful smile.

On the future of archery in India, Lin stresses early exposure for kids. “Children should play some sport. I was lucky that my father filled our home with pictures of sports stars.”

She advocates popularising archery, introducing it in schools, and giving it visibility. “People don’t even know it exists as a competitive sport. Look at pickleball — it got attention because famous people played it. Archery needs that kind of limelight too.” Lin tells us that archery is rooted in history, it’s part of the country’s identity before cricket took over.

Balancing business with her husband, actor Randeep Hooda, is seamless. “It’s fun. When I tell him about archery, I can see the excitement in his eyes. We don’t think of it as competition — we bounce ideas off each other. It’s nice to do something together as a married couple. Maybe not romantic in the filmi sense, but this is also romance,” she says, grinning.

If archery is her first love, food comes close second. Her Mumbai-based cloud kitchen, Akhoi, serves authentic Manipuri cuisine. Would people find it too strong, too different? “I didn’t want to serve something diluted. So I started small, as a cloud kitchen,” she recalls. Today, her food is praised for being nourishing and home-like. “I love cooking everything — Naga food, Kashmiri, Gujarati — I just love feeding people,” she says.

Reflecting on her role in Axone, highlighting the struggles of North-easterners in mainland India, Lin says, “It was supposed to be released in theatres, but it came on Netflix during the lockdown. I’m glad it reached people who needed to see and know that story.” On challenges women face in sports, Lin cites that personally, she didn’t face major hurdles. However, she advocates thoughtful support. “We need to go a little gentler; not try to make women athletes into men. We’re different, and that should be embraced.” Her upbringing, where gender never restricted sports participation, remains formative. That kind of encouragement is everything.

Looking back, Lin reflects with warmth and gratitude. “I’m just grateful. For every chapter — from archery to acting to Akhoi — it’s all part of who I am. And I’m just happy to be doing what I love.”

— Written by Isha Parvatiyar

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