shot-button
E-paper E-paper
Home > Entertainment News > Bollywood News > Article > Detective Sherdil star Diana Penty reveals Imtiaz Ali dropped her from Rockstar despite 3 weeks of workshop

Detective Sherdil star Diana Penty reveals Imtiaz Ali dropped her from Rockstar despite 3 weeks of workshop

Updated on: 20 June,2025 07:08 PM IST  |  Mumbai
mid-day online correspondent |

Diana Penty recently opened up about being dropped from Rockstar by Imtiaz Ali after attending a workshop for three weeks. The actress shared how he later remembered her when writing Cocktail.

Detective Sherdil star Diana Penty reveals Imtiaz Ali dropped her from Rockstar despite 3 weeks of workshop

diana Penty rejected by Imtiaz

Listen to this article
Detective Sherdil star Diana Penty reveals Imtiaz Ali dropped her from Rockstar despite 3 weeks of workshop
x
00:00

Bollywood actress Diana Penty is currently basking in the reactions of her latest movie, Detective Sherdill, which released today. The film, also starring Diljit Dosanjh, is an OTT-only release. It's well-known that Diana began her career as a model before she made her Bollywood debut alongside Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone in the 2012 film Cocktail. In a recent interview, Diana recalled how she first auditioned for filmmaker Imtiaz Ali's superhit film Rockstar. However, he dropped her after 2–3 weeks of workshops.

Diana Penty on being approached for Rockstar


In a recent interview with Hauterrfly, Diana recalled how she was first approached to play the lead role in Rockstar before making her debut in Cocktail. She recalled, "I was in New York, modelling, and I got a call from my agency. They told me Imtiaz Ali was looking for a new girl for his film Rockstar and that I must meet him. Films were never on my radar, and I had never taken formal training in acting. I never had the confidence that I could be an actor one day. I never believed that I would ever be able to pull it off. So I flew back for the meeting. At the first meeting, I was like, ‘Wow, he is such a nice person.’"


 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Diana Penty (@dianapenty)

The Detective Sherdil actress reveals that Imtiaz was kind and made her comfortable enough that she could freely talk to him. When the Jab We Met director asked for look tests and explained the character to her, the actress recalls telling him that she didn’t have any acting background and that she wasn’t sure if she’d be able to do justice to the role. However, she says, Imtiaz encouraged her to attend workshops, and told her that he’d take a decision after 2–3 weeks.

Diana Penty reveals Imtiaz Ali rejected her

Diana then added, "After 2–3 weeks, he said, ‘Look, I can see you have come a long way and I’ve seen a lot of improvement, but I still don’t feel you are ready to play the character in Rockstar. Maybe it is too soon for you.’" He was also going to shoot it in a month or so, and felt that I wasn’t ready at the time. I was kind of relieved because I didn’t feel confident. So I went back to New York and continued with my modelling."

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Diana Penty (@dianapenty)

The actress further reveals how, just a year later, she received a call informing her that Dinesh Vijan was looking for a new face. She later found out that the script for Cocktail had been written by Imtiaz Ali, who remembered her and suggested that she would be a perfect fit for the character of Meera in the film. She also shared how she received a confirmation call within 24 hours of her audition, which landed her debut role in Cocktail, and the rest is history.

"Exciting news! Mid-day is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!

Did you find this article helpful?

Yes
No

Help us improve further by providing more detailed feedback and stand a chance to win a 3-month e-paper subscription! Click Here

Note: Winners will be selected via a lucky draw.

Help us improve further by providing more detailed feedback and stand a chance to win a 3-month e-paper subscription! Click Here

Note: Winners will be selected via a lucky draw.

Register for FREE
to continue reading !

This is not a paywall.
However, your registration helps us understand your preferences better and enables us to provide insightful and credible journalism for all our readers.

Mid-Day Web Stories

Mid-Day Web Stories

This website uses cookie or similar technologies, to enhance your browsing experience and provide personalised recommendations. By continuing to use our website, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy. OK