Slow and steady wins it for Diana Penty

She may be just two films old, but Diana Penty has made a mark in the industry. Her next film, Lucknow Central, is based on real life incidents in Lucknow Jail. 

As opposed to the bubbly roles the actress is used to playing, Diana is set to play a more serious role. Giving an insight into what her character in the film is like, she says, “I represent an NGO and impart training like sewing, carpentry, knitting and other professional training to qaidis in jail.”

Diana says that her character is very similar to what she is as a person. “In both reel and real life, I am a headstrong girl, who is determined to achieve her goals. No one can bully her (the character),” she says, adding that it is quite unlike the previous roles.

The actress, who believes in going slow and steady, opens up about going on a long break.  “I was an outsider. After Cocktail became successful, I was suddenly in the limelight,” she says. Another reason why she decided to go on a break was the unavailability of the roles she wanted to work on. “In Cocktail, I was playing the role of Meera, who is a subtle, quiet character. After that, I wasn’t offered the kind of roles I wanted to do, the roles I believed in,” she says, explaining that this is what took her second film Happy Bhaag Jayegi this long.

The actress also talks about her next film, Parmanu, which is based on a true tale. “The story is about the history of nuclear test and is solely based on facts,” she says. Starring opposite John Abraham, Diana says that she is quite comfortable around him on the sets because the actor is so down to earth. Lucknow Central is set to release on September 15 and stars Farhan Akhtar opposite Diana.