Exclusive: Deepika Padukone follows strict discipline, she was never late on shoot, I was blown away with her transformation as Veronica, reveals Diana Penty

Exclusive: Deepika Padukone follows strict discipline, she was never late on shoot, I was blown away with her transformation as Veronica, reveals Diana Penty

Bollywood actress Diana Penty recently sat down for an insightful interview with Moneycontrol.com, reflecting on her career trajectory, iconic roles, and future aspirations. Diana recalled her fond memories of working with Deepika Padukone in Cocktail and how her character Veronica enthralled her. Diana also spoke about her debut role Meera from Cocktail.

Diana said, "Cocktail will always be that ultra-special project that, you know, will always, through my life, it will be that one memory that will be most special," . She expressed immense gratitude for the opportunity to portray Meera, a character that resonated deeply with her personal nature. "Because I couldn't have asked for a better debut film and a better character that was best suited for me at that time. You know, given my nature, my personality, Meera came so naturally to me. Just to even play her on screen, because that's the person that I was even then."

When asked about "taking the limelight from Deepika" in "Cocktail," Penty was quick to dismiss the notion. "No, I didn't. Not at all. Deepika was amazing in that film. I actually thought that she was just so, so good. She looked great. She performed just... Like, I think at that time, it was one of her best performances. Yeah, there's no way, I mean, there's no way I took any limelight from her."

She emphasized that the film's success was a collective effort, highlighting the contrasting characters of the two female leads. "In fact, if you ask me, the film, you know, worked and did really, really well because of the two girls and because of the fact that they were so polar opposite from each other." Penty even recalled watching the re-release of "Cocktail" with her mother and being captivated by Deepika's performance. "I couldn't get my eyes off Deepika. And my mom said the same thing. She said she was so good. She was so, so good. And so effortless. Deepika Padukone follows strict discipline, she is never late on shoot."

Also Read: Exclusive- Darsheel Safary recalls Taare Zameen Par post-release fame: I was never able to go to my school canteen or buy vegetables from market

Penty also credited the film's stylist, Anita Adjania, for the distinct and impactful fashion in "Cocktail." "I mean, hats off to Anita. Who styled the whole film, actually. And she did such a fabulous job with each character. Making, you know... I think every character had their own sense of individual style. Which was different from the other character. And which added so much value to that character." She explained the vision behind Meera's seemingly simple yet chic style: "The whole idea was to make Meera this girl next door. Who was not... So, she obviously, in the story, came to London... Being very, very from... Like, very Indian. And she dressed in salwar and stuff. And then when she met Veronica. She kind of got influenced by her decisions. And style... And her choices. And to a certain extent, I think maybe even borrowed clothes from her wardrobe... But in a very simple way... And I think that's what also worked really well. So, she was not stylized... But she was well put together. And just simple but chic."