Talktime
Diana Penty
She shot to fame when she played Meera in Cocktail and Happy in Happy Bhag Jayegi. The actress is now back with a power-packed role in Parmanu: The Story of Pokhran. She speaks with Sangeeta Yadav about playing an Army Officer in the film and how she follows her heart when it comes to work
How does it feel to play an Army OfficerIJ
It was a special feeling. It was also one of the reasons I wanted to do this film — to play a strong woman in a man’s world. Wearing the uniform was a matter of great pride. I had goosebumps when I wore the uniform for the first time. But as John Abraham rightly put it, we are merely reel heroes. The real heroes are our jawans at the Border who fight for us. It makes you wonder how worthy you actually are of wearing that uniform even if just for a film. In a way, it pushes you harder to serve the country.
What thoughts came into your mind when you heard the story of Parmanu: The Story of PokhranIJ
This is a phenomenal story to tell and loved being a part of it. To be able to tell a story of national importance which changed the history of our nation feels amazing. Many of us don’t know the details of what happened in 1998 and the events that gave India nuclear power. I got to know about the planning and prep for the mission and various roadblocks that we faced, the constant surveillance by the CIA. I’m only grateful that through this film, I’ll be able to share that information with the rest of us. Each and every Indian watching this film will leave the theatre with head held high.
What research did you doIJ
Most of my research was through director Abhishek Sharma. He’s a walking talking encyclopedia on India’s nuclear tests. You can ask him any question on the subject and he’ll have the answer. In terms of my character, I asked him for a reference point for how he would like me to play her. He told me to watch and observe Jessica Chastain’s character in Zero Dark Thirty. I also watched other films of women in action roles just to observe their body language. I will be doing action for the first time in this film and there is a fight scene for which I had to learn kick-boxing.
Was it difficult to do action sequencesIJ
Yes. Even though the actual scenes were only a few seconds, shooting for it can take the whole day. You have to be physically and mentally prepared. A certain amount of training is required and because I trained for a few months, I managed it well.
Can you share some anecdotes from the making of the filmIJ
There was one scene which is quite long; it had six of us and lot of dialogues. Abhishek wanted the whole scene to be one shot. Mine was the last dialogue in the scene. Besides all the various lighting, camera and other technical aspects having to be spot on, the six of us had to be in sync. I don’t think I’ve ever felt such pressure in a scene before.
How was your experience working with Abhishek SharmaIJ
It was amazing. I like his sense of comedy. He is funny, chilled-out and has a happy-go-lucky attitude which gets reflected in his films especially like Tere Bin laden franchise. But Parmanu... was a different genre for him altogether. But he had clarity on what he wanted from the film and the characters.
How was your experience working with John AbrahamIJ
He’s a great actor and one of the biggest action stars in Bollywood. As a producer of the film and his JA Entertainment comes with a lot of credibility in terms of the content they choose to back. He gives his 200 per cent to the projects he takes on. He’s a perfectionist in every sense and makes sure a film looks great, feels right and is packaged perfectly before it goes out.
Coming from a non-filmy background, was it difficult to be an actorIJ
Of course, being an actor is tough. You’re all the time in the spotlight. What you say and do is under constant scrutiny. It took me a while to know how to deal with it. But being an actor is rewarding too. You get to play different characters on screen, which is enjoyable and a great learning experience. What better feeling than that you get to entertain peopleIJ
What is the biggest risk you have taken in lifeIJ
I’ve always been a practical person and think 500 times before doing anything. But when it comes to work, I’ve always followed my heart. I have always stuck to doing the things that I genuinely believe in, irrespective of whether they make sense or not. I have always taken up projects that I’m passionate about or that my instinct tells me to do.
What to watch out for in the sequel of your next film Happy Phir Bhaag JayegiIJ
Happy Phir Bhag Jayegi is as crazy, funny, sweet and endearing as part one. Mudassar Aziz has outdone himself with this story and it was a riot reuniting with the whole cast again.