Actress Diana Penty, who is enjoying the successful run of her film "Parmanu - The Story of Pokhran" at the box office, says she is "extremely critical" of herself as it helps her get better in her craft and learn the nuances of acting.
"I'm happy that the film has been well received. It's a story we couldn't wait to share with the audience as it is a matter of great pride for every Indian. The best feeling for any actor is his or her film being appreciated and the positive word of mouth that 'Parmanu...' has garnered is testament to that," Diana told IANS in an email interview.
After much delay caused by a lockdown between John Abraham's production banner JA Entertainment and KriArj Entertainment, "Parmanu - The Story Of Pokhran" opened on May 25.
Diana is seen as an Army officer in Abhishek Sharma's "Parmanu - The Story of Pokhran", which is based on the series of nuclear tests in Pokhran in 1998. It also features John and Boman Irani.
The "Cocktail" star was happy to find her own ground in the male dominated cast.
"When I read the script, I was extremely kicked about being the only woman amongst all the men on the mission. And I'm grateful to Abhishek (Sharma) for his insistence on having a female character that was subtle yet strong in her own way.
"At no point in the script was she ever portrayed as being weaker than her male counterparts. She was one of the guys and no one ever questioned that," she said.
The actress says she is "extremely critical of myself".
"So, I guess that's only natural. The good thing is that it helps me learn from my performances and better myself with each film. I can only hope that my contribution to 'Parmanu...' has made a difference to the film and that my efforts have paid off."
After making a name for herself as a model, Diana walked into showbiz with "Cocktail" in 2012.
Despite a successful debut, Diana maintained her distance from the big screen and did her second movie "Happy Bhag Jayegi" in 2016. Thereafter, she promised her fans that she will not take long breaks, and she has kept her word.
She was seen in "Lucknow Central" last year, and now "Parmanu: The Story of Pokhran".
When it comes to work, Diana doesn't like playing safe as she mentions "the biggest risk is not taking any risks at all".
"For an actor especially, I think this is true. I have always made a conscious attempt to try different genres, play different characters. It's what keeps me challenged. I think the most sensible thing to do would be to strike a healthy balance between taking risks with unique content and playing it safe with formula content," she said.
What are her future plans?
"The best way for me has always been to take one day at a time. I love what I do and I only want to keep at it -- do more and more work, challenge myself, better my skills, entertain the audience. I love reading scripts and I will continue to do that.
"I read all kinds of scripts - the good ones as well as the not so good ones. It's a great way to get a sense of different story ideas and concepts. And as always, I will continue to follow my intuition. It has never let me down."
She will soon be seen in "Happy Phirr Bhag Jayegi" -- a sequel to "Happy Bhag Jayegi". Being helmed by Mudassar Aziz, the film will also star Sonakshi Sinha, Piyush Mishra, Ali Fazal and Jassi Gill.
"'Happy Phirr Bhag Jayegi' is going to be one crazy ride," she teased.
