Before stepping into Bollywood, Diana Penty made her mark as a model. She eventually debuted in films with *Cocktail*, starring alongside Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone. However, in a recent interview with *Hauterrfly*, Diana shared that her first brush with cinema came through filmmaker Imtiaz Ali, who had initially approached her for the female lead in *Rockstar* opposite Ranbir Kapoor.
Diana revealed that while she was modelling in New York, her agency informed her about Imtiaz Ali’s search for a fresh face for *Rockstar*. Although acting wasn’t something she had ever planned for—she lacked formal training and didn’t see herself as an actress—she returned to India to meet him. “At our first meeting, I thought he was such a warm, kind person,” she recalled.
During their interaction, Imtiaz discussed the role and requested a look test. Diana, feeling uncertain due to her lack of experience, expressed her doubts. Imtiaz encouraged her to join workshops and reassured her that a final decision would follow in a couple of weeks.
After attending workshops for 2–3 weeks, Imtiaz gave her his honest feedback. “He said he saw improvement but felt I wasn’t ready for the role and that maybe it was too soon,” Diana recounted. With the shoot just around the corner, she admitted feeling somewhat relieved, as she still lacked confidence in her abilities. She returned to New York and resumed modelling.
A year later, she received a call from producer Dinesh Vijan’s team about a new film. That film was *Cocktail*—written by Imtiaz Ali, who remembered Diana and believed she would be a perfect fit for the role of Meera. After a successful audition, she was confirmed for the part within a day, marking the beginning of her acting journey.
Eventually, the lead role in *Rockstar* went to Nargis Fakhri. *Cocktail*, a romantic comedy directed by Homi Adajania, also featured Dimple Kapadia, Boman Irani, and Randeep Hooda, and turned out to be a major box office hit, grossing ₹121.78 crore worldwide.
Currently, Diana Penty stars in *Detective Sherdil*, directed by debutant Ravi Chhabriya. The film also features Diljit Dosanjh, Boman Irani, Chunky Panday, and Banita Sandhu, and is available for streaming on ZEE5.
