Diana Penty Recalls Losing Out On Ranbir Kapoor's Rockstar: 'Imtiaz Ali Said I Wasn’t Ready'

Before Diana Penty became a household name with her debut in 'Cocktail', she had nearly starred in Imtiaz Ali’s 'Rockstar'.

Diana Penty made her Bollywood debut with 'Cocktail', penned by Imtiaz Ali.

Source : Instagram/@dianapenty & IMDb

New Delhi: In a recent interview, actress Diana Penty offered fans a rare glimpse into her early days in showbiz, including a near-miss with a big Bollywood break. Best known for her debut as Meera in the 2012 hit 'Cocktail', Diana revealed that she was initially in the running for the lead female role in Imtiaz Ali’s 'Rockstar', a part that ultimately went to Nargis Fakhri.

Speaking to Hauterfly, Diana shared that she was into her modelling career in New York when fate came calling. “I was in New York modelling when my agency called to say Imtiaz Ali was looking for a fresh face for his next film, Rockstar. Honestly, acting wasn’t even on my radar back then. I hadn’t taken any formal training. I didn’t think I had it in me," she recalled.

Imtiaz Ali's Guidance

Despite her inexperience, Diana agreed to meet Imtiaz Ali for an audition. “He had a long chat with me. He explained to me that this is the part I am looking for, looking for a new girl. I saw you in the mobile ad, and let’s do a look test,” she said, adding that the filmmaker encouraged her to attend acting workshops to see if she could grow into the role.

After a few weeks of preparation and training, Imtiaz Ali gave her a candid verdict. “After 2–3 weeks, he said, ‘Look, I can see you have come a long way and I’ve seen a lot of improvement, but I still don’t feel you are ready to play the character in Rockstar. Maybe it is too soon for you.’”

Diana admitted she was somewhat relieved at the time, as she wasn’t fully confident in her acting abilities. She returned to New York and continued modelling.

Diana Penty Debut with 'Cocktail'

However, destiny had other plans. Not long after, Diana was offered the debut role in 'Cocktail', a film also penned by Imtiaz Ali. The romantic comedy, co-starring Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone, became a massive success and launched Diana as a fresh and promising face in the industry.