‘I’ve read Mills & Boon to understand what the ladies loved’

Dino Morea spills bookish secrets to Anita RahejaHeena Agarwal

Dino Morea picks a book instinctively and therefore his taste in books is varied, interesting and unpredictable. Perhaps it’s never too early to pick up the reading hobby and actor-entrepreneur Dino Morea says he started reading at the young age of 1011. “My mother used to read a lot,” he reveals. “She was the one who introduced me to reading. I think Aesop’s Fables was the first book I recall reading. In fact, it is a book I would recommend to children till date.”

There are many books on Dino’s bedside table currently. He says, “The latest book I have read is the Elon Musk biography. He is a famous business magnate and philanthropist. I like reading multiple books at the same time. I am also currently reading Gut: The Inside Story of Our Body’s Most Underrated Organ by Jiulia Enders. As the title suggests, it is all about our gut. I am also reading The Vault of Vishnu by Ashwin Sanghi, and I keep returning to India’s Greatest Speeches. My reading habits have changed a lot...I now read two-three books simultaneously. On long distance flights I prefer catching up on films and sleep but I read whenever time permits. I was a voracious reader at one time but not so much currently.”

Considering Dino’s fondness for both cinema and reading, we ask if there was any film which he considers as

good or better than the book it was adapted from. “Godfather by Mario Puzo. I loved the film,” he replies.

As for Dino’s favourite fiction and nonfiction authors, he has a varied choice. “I’ve had different favourites at different times of my life. Tolkien at some point, then Wilbur Smith, then Jeffery Archers etc. In non-fiction, I can’t think of any name really,” he says.

There are books which we enjoy reading as teenagers but now find it embarrassing to admit but Dino has no such regrets. He smiles, “Oh I read quite a bit, but I never found reading embarrassing. I read Mills & Boon to understand what the ladies loved about it. I was fond of reading comics like the Tinkle series and Archie besides children’s books, all sorts.”

Asked to cite 10 must-have books he would stock in his bookcase, Dino sighs, “Oh, tough question. I like many. I would think the Bible, Chanakya, Stalin, Ghengiz Khan, Power of Now, Sapiens, etc would find a definite place.”

Dino surprises one by revealing, “Besides English, I have read a few Hindi books. Roz Ek Kahani by Manto and Premchand Ki Amar Kahaniyan.”

The reading habit might lead to Dino Morea springing a bigger surprise one day...He reveals, “Sometimes, I am inspired to write after reading!”

The reading habit might lead to Dino Morea springing a bigger surprise one day...He reveals, “Sometimes, I am inspired to write after reading!”