Edging out top contender Diana Penty, model turned actress Karishma Kotak has lapped up the role of the female lead opposite Salman Khan in Sohail Khan’s upcoming film Mental, earlier titled Radhe. It is said that Salman Khan played a key role in selecting Karishma for the lead role. Said a source, “Salman has had a good equation with Kotak ever since he shot a TV commercial with her last year. In fact, the star also advocated for her inclusion in Bigg Boss 6. He believes that the model can give a strong performance.” Does it mean that the Dabangg star was apprehensive of casting Diana in his brother’s film? “Salman has no issues with Penty, who definitely was one of the main contenders for the role. It was just that both Salman and Sohail were keen on casting a new face,” added the source. It may be remembered that as a successful model, Kotak walked the ramp for London Fashion Week, modeled for Vijay Mallya's bikini calendar and shot to fame with her commercials with Abhishek Bachchan and Salman Khan. She debuted in films with the Chiranjeevi-starrer Shankar Dada Zindabad in Telugu. However, her first Bollywood film Season’s Greetings in 2010 failed to attract viewers. Mental is expected to go on the floors on 15 February (2013).