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Back with a bang

‘Cocktail’ star Diana Penty returns to big screen in ‘Happy Bhaag Jayegi’

Ians March 17, 2016

Then a newcomer, Diana was praised for holding her own alongside the likes of Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone in Cocktail. PHOTO: FILE

MUMBAI: One may recall her as the sweet and simple Meera from Homi Adajania’s 2012 hit Cocktail but Diana Penty pretty much disappeared after the film. Now, the 30-year-old model and actor is making a comeback, having just wrapped up shooting for her second outing, Happy Bhaag Jayegi.

According to Diana, she had been waiting for the right role and right script to jump back into the scene. She sought to explain her three-year hiatus at Happy Bhaag Jayegi’s wrap party saying, “I was waiting for the right kind of role and script. That’s what happened with Happy Bhaag Jayegi.” Diana went on to share how excited she was to return to the film industry. “Even before we started shooting, I was really excited about the film and its plot,” she claimed. “I wanted to know more and it was great shooting it – a really good experience!”

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Diana will be portraying an open-minded, confident girl in the forthcoming film, which proved a tad challenging, considering her previous role as a subdued married woman, wronged by her husband. “My character here is very different from the one in Cocktail,” she explained. “Meera and Happy are poles apart! Happy is very confident and not bothered about the situations happening around her. She is one character who is always read to take on the world and quite forthcoming.”

Happy Bhaag Jayegi will also mark actor Abhay Deol’s return to the big screen after his 2014 release One By Two. About her experience of working with Abhay for the first time, Diana said, “It’s amazing working with Abhay. He is an extremely good actor who makes other actors comfortable. It’s easy to react while working opposite to him.”

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The film has been directed by Mudassar Aziz and produced by Anand L Rai. Billed as a romantic comedy, Happy Bhaag Jayegi also features Ali Fazal, Jimmy Shergill and Piyush Mishra.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 18^th, 2016.

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