Diana Penty: Sometimes, the best opportunities in life come when you least expect them; for me, it was turning an actor

IN the heart of New York's fashion scene, Diana Penty was already making waves as successful model.

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Little did she know, a singu-lar phone call would propel her into a life-changing trajectory. "I was contacted by Dinesh Vijan and Homi Adajania, who were casting for a new role. I flew to Mumbai thinking it would be a brief, casual meeting," recalls Diana.

"But to my surprise, they immediately saw me as the per-fect fit for the immediately saw me role of Meera in Cocktail (2012), particularly because my natural shyness and uncertainty aligned with the character they envisioned."

What followed was a serendipitous series of events. Diana was asked to audition on the spot, and then a second audi-tion followed soon after.

"When they told me I had the part, I was in complete shock. I must've asked them at least a dozen times if they were certain 1 was the right choice. I simply didn't have the confidence in myself at that point.