At the NDTV Yuva Conclave session titled "Breaking Stereotypes," actor Diana Penty shared insights from her years of experience in the film industry. Known for breaking stereotypes through her diverse roles, she spoke about how to challenge and overcome societal expectations.
The actress spoke about the importance of redefining one's identity and embracing change, drawing from her own journey of evolving from a model to a successful actor and entrepreneur.
Diana Penty On Her Success Recipe
Actor Diana Penty says that challenges have always been her driving force. Reflecting on her debut film Cocktail, she shared how she entered the industry without any acting background but decided to take the leap of faith.
"The recipe has always been to keep it different each time, and I'm a complete scorpion. So for me, you throw a challenge at me, and I will make it my life's mission to make sure that I do my best at it, and I prove everybody who thought that I couldn't do it wrong. So when Cocktail came to me, which was my first film, I didn't have any acting background. I didn't even know at that point that I wanted to be an actor. It just came by and I said, hey, this is a challenge. It's a great way to start out an acting career. What better way than to be launched at that time by Maddock Films, Dinesh Vijan, and to be directed by Homi Adajania, and to be in a film with Saif and Deepika as my first ever film. So I just decided to go into it completely. I mean, I just shut my eyes and I said, I'm gonna go through this process and do whatever it takes to prepare for it, but I'm gonna do it right. And that was my first film," she said.
According to Diana, her mantra after Cocktail has been to take up different roles instead of repeating the same kind of characters. "But then after that, I decided I wanted to do something different each time. I try my hand at different things because at the end of the day, if you're an actor or a performer, you want to showcase a variety of work, not just do the same role over and over again. So I think that's been the recipe - to keep myself on my toes, keep myself challenged, surprise people, surprise myself along the way, and try new things."
Diana Penty On Working With Deepika Padukone
Diana also recalled her experience of working with Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone during her debut.
She said, "She was honestly the best co-actor to have in my first film. Deepika and Saif were both my pillars of support through the times when I knew nothing. I mean, I was literally on a film set for the first time in my life, doing my first few scenes, my first few dialogue deliveries. Everything was so surreal, so new for me, but the two of them made sure that they supported me throughout. They made me feel completely comfortable, made light of everything. If I forgot my lines and we had to redo the scene, they made me feel like it was no big deal. So I really, really appreciate that."
From then onwards, Diana said she had "a lot of respect" for both, but especially for Deepika. She said, "I had so many scenes with her, and I've always seen her - she's very, very hard working, extremely dedicated. And I mean, I think she has a great working style."
When asked how professional she finds Deepika, Diana replied, "Extremely professional. 10. Yeah, 10. She is very, very disciplined. And I think that also comes from her upbringing and her background, being a sports player as well. She is disciplined."
Diana Penty On Being An "Otrovert"
Diana Penty also spoke about discovering a new term that she relates to. "You know, I still haven't figured this out, but very recently on social media, I've discovered a new word. I think that I'm that, really. Yeah, I think so. But I still haven't done enough reading on it to figure out what exactly it is. But I realised that if you're not entirely an introvert, because that's quite an extreme - people who really like seclusion and just being by themselves - and you're not entirely an extrovert, you're a mix. I'm a little bit of a mix, like I'm good with people, but I'm good with people that I like or that I'm comfortable with. So I think I'm an otrovert, okay? That's my new thing now. Hey, I'm not an introvert, I'm an otrovert."
Sharing advice for those who feel hesitant to enter the entertainment industry, Diana said, "No matter what your personality is, you just keep at it, do the best that you can do, prove to people why they need you and what you can bring to the table. I feel like if you're true to yourself, which is also very, very important, I think that being authentic and individuality is your biggest strength. If we were all exactly the same, it would just be a very, very boring world.
"So stay true to who you are. Be very authentic. If you can focus on the things that excite you, on the things that you truly feel for - that's honestly the best way to prove people wrong when they stereotype you, put you into certain boxes, or make you feel like you aren't good enough. Prove to them that they're wrong in the most effortless way, which is by following your passion, following what excites you and being you. Because honestly, being you, I think, takes you through all the way to the end. It's like a long-term game. It might not, you know, you might not be liked in the moment, because it might mean saying no to certain things or putting your foot down. But if those are the right choices for you, you need to take that step and do it. And I think that people eventually will start to respect you for it. They might not like you for it, but they will respect you for it."
Background
In terms of work, Diana Penty was last seen in the Amazon Prime series Do You Wanna Partner alongside Tamannaah Bhatia and Nakuul Mehta.
In the series, she plays the role of Anahita. The story follows two best friends who become entrepreneurs in the NCR craft beer market and face gender discrimination, prompting them to invent a fictitious male partner to help their startup thrive. The web series marks Diana Penty's debut in long-format digital storytelling.
Before this, Diana appeared in the films Detective Sherdil, Chhaava and Azaad. She was also a part of Akshay Kumar and Emraan Hashmi's Selfiee and Kunal Deshmukh's Shiddat.
Diana Penty began her career as a model and made her Bollywood debut with Cocktail, co-starring Deepika Padukone and Saif Ali Khan.
Diana has featured in films like Happy Bhag Jayegi, Parmanu: The Story of Pokhran, Lucknow Central, to name a few.
