I wasn’t on a sabbatical, says Diana Penty

She made a solid debut in Cocktail and matched toe to toe with her much more established co-stars, Deepika and Saif Ali Khan. And after an absence of four years from the big screen, Diana Penty is finally all set to make a return to the big screen in the comic caper, Happy Bhag Jayegi. The actress sits down for a chat with us about where she was all this time and what’s in store for her going forward.

While most people would consider such a long absence from the big screen a sabbatical, Diana disagrees. Speaking of her time away from screen, she says, “I have been around and not disappeared like most people think. I have been doing modelling and brand endorsements. I also have been meeting people and reading scripts, but nothing clicked for me before Happy... I didn’t want to push myself to do work that didn’t appeal to me.” As for Happy..., Diana says that it isn’t anything like a comeback or a re-launch, but rather just a patiently-waited- for second film.

“The film happened after I met Mudassar and Anand and it has been almost a year-and-a-half on this project. I may have taken a longer time than others to do my second film, but it wasn’t a sabbatical for me,” she adds.

She further adds that the absence from the big screen did not bother her. “I wasn’t very excited with the projects that came my way as they were repetitive. So I waited for the right script. And when I read the script for Happy..., it was a sudden instinct that this character is so crazy that I want to do it,” adds the leggy lass.

While she was resolute about waiting, the only awkwardness was with answering questions. Says the actress, “In a way, it was awkward when people just kept asking what I am doing next. It was hard for me to go into the details during my public appearances. But other than that it was nothing.”

So how did the project come her way, we ask. “My manager told me about the film. I asked about the subject and I was just told it was a cross border rom-com. I was convinced in just that one line. When I got to know the story, I felt that it wasn’t logistically possible, but like most others, I was unaware that Pakistan is just about 30-40 minutes away from Amritsar. It sounded so interesting and I met Mudassar and Anand sir. We sat down and they give me the gist of the story. It is a comedy of errors and the way Mudassar has played the characters is beautiful. The film is made with a good heart.”

Speaking of her character Happy, she says, “She is a whacko and her wackiness is so endearing to watch. She is in love with Guddu, who is played by Ali Fazal, but is getting married to Daman, which is Jimmy Shergill’s character. However, she lands up in Pakistan and incidentally meets Abhay. The exteriors have been shot in Pakistan but the interiors are shot in India.”

While she has done a multi-starrer before, in this film she shares the screen with not one but three heroes. Sharing her experience, she says, “Ali Fazal is funny and whenever Ali and Jimmy team up, they are even more funny. I had lot of scenes with Abhay Deol and I noticed that he is very professional and a giving co-star. He doesn’t take shortcuts in performing.”

Besides the three boys, she will also be seen sharing screen space with Pakistani actress Momal Sheikh. “She is so lovely and sweet. We got along effortlessly. She is very simple and relatable. I feel Indians and Pakistanis are very similar people in terms of culture. So she felt like one of us.”