Model Diana Penty now wants to focus only on films

Mumbai: Being a successful model, Diana Penty, who will be making her debut in Bollywood with `Cocktail`, says modelling will take a backseat as she now intends to make a career in Bollywood. Diana will be seen alongside Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone in soon-to-be-released film `Cocktail`, directed by Homi Adajania. "I did modelling for five years, then I felt I wanted to do something different and challenging. That is when I started meeting people and Imtiaz Ali (writer of `Cocktail`) was one of them. Soon the role of Meera came, it was like destiny. I was meant to be Meera and play her," Diana told PTI. Asked if modelling will take a back seat now that she is trying her luck in films, Diana said, "Now I am fully focusing on films. I will give my 100 percent to it." "When I started with `Cocktail`, I was trying to figure out if this was something I wanted to do. Now I am sure... I would love to do more films. It`s been such a good experience that I hope I have a team like this for my next film too," the debutante said. Diana confessed to having no ambitions to get into Bollywood and says it all happened by chance. "Acting was never on the agenda. I can`t say that I wanted to be an actress, it just happened along the way. I did not even know that I would be modelling but that also just happened. I did not know where I will be next," she said. In the promos of `Cocktail`, Diana appears as the shy and pretty Meera. The film hits the screens this Friday. The model-turned-actress, who is absolutely new to Bollywood and has started everything from scratch, took diction classes and dancing lessons. "I did everything which one could possibly think of - dance classes, Hindi diction, voice modulation. I think I got a good exposure," she said. Diana is all praises for her co-stars Deepika and Saif, director Homi Adajania and producer Dinesh Vijan, saying they made her feel comfortable. "Both Saif and Deepika have been amazing. They looked after me and made a very comfortable. I have been catching up on his (Saif`s) films. I have seen `Omkara` and really liked him in it. Deepika and I could relate as we came from the same modelling background. We got along really well." "Everyone on the set was supportive. Homi took me through the character before we began shooting. He takes you through the journey and tells you where you are. Dinesh has pushed me every time he thought I had more potential and I could do more. I couldn`t have asked for more. It`s been an amazing journey," she said. PTI