Shilpi Sampad (MID-DAY; April 3, 2017)

For Mumbai girl Diana Penty, the idea of shooting in a smaller city steeped in history seemed exciting. The actress had been there once a long time ago, just for a day though. And when she revisited the Uttar Pradesh capital on a weeklong schedule for Farhan Akhtar-starrer Lucknow Central, she knew she had to do all things touristy, albeit for a few hours.

On a day when she was relatively free, Diana hopped onto a toto rickshaw to slake her wanderlust. “The people are so warm and there is so much history to the city. I did a bit of sightseeing. It was quite an experience,” says Diana, adding that there were no crazy fan encounters. “I am pretty good at blending in,” she adds.

Given that she is also a foodie, the actress did an exhaustive research on what and where to eat in Lucknow.
“I even asked for recommendations on Twitter and the responses were very helpful. The chaat and kebabs were to die for, not to mention the biryani.”

By the end of the day, Diana could feel her purse getting lighter and shopping bags heavier. She splurged heavily on the famous Lucknowi chikankari fare. “Now that summer is here, I wanted to buy a few pastel pieces for my wardrobe. I ended up buying a lot as gifts for friends and family as well,” she adds.

Diana plays an NGO worker in Lucknow Central. Farhan will be seen as a prisoner with musical aptitude.