Dino: I was ill-advised at the beginning of my career

Dino Morea admits he made some poor choices in the initial days of his career and lauds OTT for his transformation

Actor Dino Morea surprised everyone recently when he played the antagonist, Shaybani Khan in the web show, The Empire. The role not only got him much praise but also helped him break stereotypes attached with him. The actor reveals many within the industry couldn’t believe his transformation for the role.

“I’ve been waiting for somebody to think of me in an out of the box way. I really want to thank Nikkhil (Advani, co-producer) and Mitakshara (Sharma, director). Everybody saw me as a romantic, good-looking guy, not in such a character. And now, suddenly I’ve become a new idea to a lot of people,” he exclaims.

Morea, 45, feels such roles can help actors reinvent themselves. “Directors are telling people ‘Dino was a romantic hero. Oh God, check him out’. You, honestly, need to get characters like these to come out of that (stereotypical image). I’m truly hoping it happens. You need something where people look at the character more than they look at you,” he explains.

So, did this tag of ‘chocolate boy’ become a stumbling block in his career? Denying such assertion, the actor adds, “It is a visual medium… My job is to go out there, perform. As an actor also, I feel there is a certain sense of maturity that has now come in. In fact, my first opportunity came because the makers wanted someone who looked like me, Pyaar Mein Kabhi Kabhi (1999), then came Raaz (2002). I was ill-advised at that point in my career, and I chose some films that maybe I

Ishouldn’t have. I’ve no regrets though,” he shares.

And while his unique look as Shaybani in the web show is being talked about, Morea reveals it wasn’t easy to lock the final choice. “It was my director’s brainchild. She brought in the stylist, and we tried a bald look, with prosthetics. That was good, then we tried the one with hair extensions, and that was also good. It came very close to tossing a coin, and then the assistants voted,” he recalls. t seems that yet another interesting collaboration is on the cards. According to a News18 report, actors Akshay Kumar and Emraan Hashmi are set to come together for the Hindi remake of Malayalam film, Driving License, which featured Prithviraj Sukumaran and Suraj Venjaramoodu. The project is said to be helmed by Raj Mehta, who had directed Good Newwz (2019).

Sharing details of the project, a source revealed, “This is the first time the two actors are going to work together. While Akshay steps into the shoes of Prithviraj and plays a superstar, Emraan will reprise the role of a traffic inspector who’s a diehard fan of the superstar which was originally portrayed by Suraj.” The shooting is expected to start early next year.

PHOTO: PRODIP GUHA/HT Akshay Kumar

Emraan Hashmi