Who will play Mithun's sister: Ileana D'Cruz or Diana Penty

Buzz is that both actresses are vying for the role in Akshay Kumar's next, after Nargis failed to 'look' the part

Now that Nargis Fakhri is out of Akshay Kumar’s next action comedy, apparently Ileana D’Cruz, who was initially considered for the part, might return to the cast.

The Rockstar actress was reportedly dropped because she didn’t have the looks to be cast as Mithun Chakraborthy’s sister. However, word is that even model Diana Penty is in the race for the same role.

A reliable industry source tells us that self-proclaimed ‘well-wishers’ of Ileana have sent feelers to the production team. “Messages have been sent and calls have been made to the makers to sign Ileana. Moreover, they’re even saying that Nargis was never meant to be in the film. Besides, there’s also emphasis on how she’s the talent to watch out for,” explains our source.

If that’s not enough, there are also friends of Diana who are recommending her name as Akshay’s heroine in the film that is being produced by him and Himesh Reshammiya.

“Ever since the promos of her debut film have come out, Diana has been getting praise for her portions. On the basis of that, the makers are also being contacted to consider Diana for the part,” divulges our informer.

Now it remains to be seen who is eventually signed up to play Mithun’s sis. Especially, since the shooting is scheduled to start early next month. While neither of the actor-producers was available for comment, a well-placed source associated with the production maintained, “Yes, we have been getting feelers from Ileana’s and Diana’s end. We’ll finalise the heroine in a few days.”

Cocktail touches new heights in box office collection

In the age of Multiplexes, failure is a forgotten word. Inspite of the combined reviews it got from the critics, Saif Ali Khan, Deepika Padukone and Diana Penty starrer 'Cocktail' is minting large cash at the box office. Catchy songs and first-rate advertising are said to be the purpose behind its achievements.

Cocktail was released in most of multiplexes, while it hit small number of single screens. The film authorized a grand starting with its occupancy ranging between 90% and 100% at multiplexes.

After making a 35.65 Crores 1st weekend the movie did somewhat fairly on Monday. The total domestic box-office collections on it's 1st Monday were 6 crores. If you look at the average drop in box office collections it wasn't more than 50% across India.

Taran Adarsh, leading film trade analyst posted on Twitter, "#Cocktail has superb weekend. #Cocktail? is remarkable, faring exceptionally well at plexes. Had an extensive release at plexes, but limited screen count at s screens. #Cocktail collected approx Rs.36 cr nett in its opening weekend. Breakup:- Fri 11 cr, Sat 12 cr, Sun 13 cr. Extra-ordinary!" 

‘Cocktail’ Review: It is a heady mix of varied human emotions!

If you put three different people under one roof, throw in some fun, drama and lend a touch of romance to the plot- what you get is a savory mix of a ‘Cocktail’ which is worth every buck you spent to relish it.

Yes, that is what Homi Adajania’s newest work is all about. Post his previous off-beat venture ‘Being Cyrus’ that got massive critical acclaim, the man has hit the nail on its head once again with the flick that stars Deepika Padukone, Saif Ali Khan and young turk Diana Penty.

So here we are introduced to the tamed Meera (played by Diana Penty), who lands up in the city of London to meet her husband Rahul (played by Randeep Hooda). To her utter dismay, Rahul ruthlessly turns her away after conning her off all her money and leaves her on the street without a roof in an alien land. She chances upon spoilt, rich bitch Veronica who parties hard, drinks like a fish but has a heart of gold. She pities Meera and takes her under her shelter and soon they become the best of friends.

Enter Gautam (played by Saif), who flirts with every hot chick in the town with his cheesy one liners. Chances bring the three main protagonists together under the same roof as Veronica and Gautam start a casual fling without any commitment. However, things take a U-turn when Gautam and Meera fall for each other on a serious note during their South Africa holiday while Veronica realises that Gautam is THE man she must settle down with. Then what begins is a roller coaster ride of emotions, drama and fallouts amidst the trio.

Going by Deepika Padukone’s performance, this is one of her best so far. She hits the bulls eye with her portrayal of Veronica. Deepika manages to highlight the intricacies of the psyche of a woman who has had a troubled childhood, which propelled her to seek refuge in alcohol and hard core partying.

Saif too has his own moments in the movie such as the one in which he hilariously dances wearing lingerie and make up and gets caught by his mother (played by Dimple Kapadia) during his live performance.

On the other hand, Diana Penty looks fresh as a daisy on screen but needs to polish her acting skills a tad more if she intends to survive the rat race.

For those who have loved Saif and Deepika’s ‘Love Aajkal’, ‘Cocktail’ will not disappoint you as it has some shades of the former. The storyline of the movie is gripping and will keep you hooked and booked.

Talking about the songs, they are as foot tapping as they could get. “Tumhi Ho Bandhu” deserves a special mention here as it will make you get up from your seats and shake a leg as the song is played on the big screen. The locations of the movie are eye catching and the styling of the actors is in sync with their onscreen characters.

Final verdict: ‘Cocktail’ is worth a try!

Rating: Three cheers for this one!

Why Diana does not want to do Deepika's Cocktail's role?

Diana Penty is making her Bollywood debut with Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone starer Cocktail. The model-turned actress, who is playing Meera in the movie, says that if the director had asked her to play Deepika Padukone's role of Veronica, she would have said no.

When a website interviewed Diana Penty and asked if she was offered the role of Veronica (played by Deepika), would she be able to pull off the bikini act?

To which Diana replied, "No, I don't think I would be able to do that. I have some reservations about how far I would wish to go. I would not be comfortable doing bikini acts and intimate scenes."

Diana Penty also said, "I am not a trained actor, but it helped a lot that I could completely relate to the character of Meera that I play in Cocktail. I was amazed to see the way Saif and Deepika improvised while we were shooting the scenes. I kept wondering how they managed to do so. I would give a lot of credit for my performance to Homi, because he knew exactly what he wanted from his actors."

Well Diana, we wish you luck for your first Bollywood movie.