Hindustan Times (Lucknow) - Hindustan Times (Lucknow) - Live
Being forgotten is a fear for Diana Penty
For actor Diana Penty, the constant battle while choosing films is whether to give in to the temptation of doing more films to stay visible in Bollywood or to sign projects she believes in.
The actor, whose latest release is Parmanu, co-starring John Abraham, has done only four films in her eight-year career. She began her Bollywood journey with Cocktail (2012) and after a gap of four years, starred in Happy Bhaag Jayegi (2016), and then Lucknow Central (2017).
Diana says that the fouryear gap made her feel that the industry had forgotten her. Asked if she ever had the fear of being forgotten, she says, “I think it actually happened with me; a lot of people told me, ‘Out of sight is out of mind’, and I was like, ‘Okay, maybe’. And it did happen. Because I wasn’t around, people just assumed I was doing other things and was not interested in films which is unfair. But, you realise, that’s how it works, it’s human nature. And it is true that there is this fear.”
The 32-year-old actor admits that there are times when she is concerned about the slow pace of her career, but her intention to choose meaningful projects always takes over her wish to be in the limelight. “At times you wake up with mini panic attacks where you feel like, ‘Oh my God! I don’t have a film right now! Should I just do something that comes my way’? But at the end of the day, your gut takes over.
I have never been able to go against my instinct.”
Along with this conflict, there are moments when Diana feels that she should make active attempts to be seen more. But, she says, her idea of visibility is different from actors who make more news with airport photos than through the films that they do.
“If you are a complete hermit, it is difficult for people to (remember you). It’s natural for, maybe, a filmmaker to not think of you because you are not in the radar.But I don’t think you need to bombard yourself and be everywhere,” says Diana.