DINO MOREA: THE 'SECRET' OF MY SUCCESS

By Fuad Omar.

Dino Morea has put his name up in lights fast. Giving what has turned out to be one of the biggest commercial successes of the year so far in Raaz, the good looking Italian-gened kid is happy as a 'muppet in Sesame Street'. He's been making appearances in and out over the last few years and has even made his big screen debut before Raaz, but we didn't quite have all films on the big screen over here at that time! He's a top Indian model who marked his debut with the launch film of Rinke Khanna and that famous 'Musu Musu Hassi' song in Pyar Mein Kabhi Kabhi. The most we got of him was in Abhijeet's videos that were showing non-stop when the singer's album came out, but fear not (well actually do because his flick's a scary movie) 'cause the man is back, grinning ear to ear and ready to take over the world. Well he'll start with Bollywood first!

"I wanted to be a race car driver and a pilot and a car engineer because I was so into gadgets and automobiles, so that's what I wanted to do when I was a kid," he says laughing.
"I finished my schooling and went to college and met some people in Bangalore who offered to give me a few shoots to do, and the extra money was always welcome and seemed more than you could make or your parensts would give you in a month, so I took it up and did a few shoots. I made a few bucks, enjoyed what I was doing, people saw my shots and someone else called me up. I was doing a few shows while I was at college and the money really helped to go out and whatever. So one thing led to another and I took part in the Gladrags Manhunt after that. I don't know what made me do it, I just went to the magazine to check out the form and never submitted it. I was in two minds but then they came to Bangalore for the selections and my friends came home and literally took me saying 'Go for it, why not?'! So I went and met the organisers and there were like, seventy to a hundred guys waiting there and seeing so many people I just shied away saying, "No way I' m not gonna do this, forget it!". I was forced to stay by my friends so I stayed back, did the thing and two months later they said 'you've made it for the finals come to Bombay'. I flew to Bombay, won the contest over here and that's it! That' s how it all started, I did the international contest next and came second in that and went back to Bangalore. I then travelled quite a bit going to London, New York and worked a bit in Singapore but felt Bombay calling so thought I'd go for it. I moved there, things carried on and one thing followed the other and films happened and here I am!"

At this point Dino's grinning like a Cheshire cat. He's just whizzed me through his rise to stardom in about seven minutes and I give him a look that says 'how can you be so casual about this' to which he gives me nod as if to say 'I don't believe it either dude!'. Ahem, enough of the telepathy, so how exactly did you bag your first role, Mr Morea?
"I was doing a lot of ad films and tea ads and a director and producer saw me on TV and thought this guy suits the role and character we're looking for and so Pyar Mein Kabhi Kabhi happened. They called me, met me and thought I was ideal so in a matter of fifteen minutes they said come on let's start working! And at that time I really wasn't sure if I wanted to do Hindi films, the whole running around trees and all, I used to laugh at it actually! I really wasn't ready and they sent me for acting classes and even during those classes I was in two minds thinking 'What am I doing here? I'm being pushed into this and am going to be an actor and not even sure if I want to do this.' Anyway we started shooting and I gave it my best shot. It was a good experience and we had a good time. This is how the movie happened!"

Given how cool our conversation is going and that I'm making myself more-than-comfortable in his spacious apartment which is very well-decorated, I drop the question that I have avoided asking any other model because I haven't seen their works both as a model and as an actor. I saw Dino shooting a week before our interview and it was the fastest photo-shoot with fantastic results in record time. I was mega-impressed and thought this is the difference between models and actors. They say models can't act yet they have the edge where photo shoots are concerned because it 's a breeze to them. Dino literally walked in did a test shot that was as good as a final and whisked through three changes and an outdoor in around half an hour. I've seen actors take a whole day to get those kind of results. As I sink into the cushion behind me I ask what the whole deal is about this stigma that models can't act.
"See, sometimes a model does a film and acts like a model. They look their best for every shot which is what they've been doing for their entire career. That's why people said 'Models can't act'. So now a lot of models who are coming into the industry or are in the industry are aware of this and breaking the mould. Everyone knows a model is a model because he looks good, so you don't have to do that extra bit to look good in each frame, just act and you'll look good. I think models have realised this and are succeeding. I mean why do directors take models? Because they look good and make their film look good, now it's up to the director to try and get the best out of that guy which is his job. To get the best emotions and expressions and tell him not to give a damn about the way he looks because once the film's made he WILL look good. After all - he's a model."

Impressing me with his analytical skills and thought provoking answer, Dino is fast becoming a hard man to interview. Not because it's difficult to find questions for him or I'm trying to catch him out or anything, but simply because he's made me feel so comfortable in his place I feel we're having more a conversation than doing an interview. The atmosphere is as chilled as the cool dude is and he's giving me great answers as well as the opportunity to genuinely ask about the whole model-acting deal and even ask him about Bombay. He laughs and explains to me the heat, the poverty, and even what the whole idea is with eunuchs. I just sit there and pick his brain like I'm talking to a long lost friend asking him about everything. Eyeing the time I realise I'd better get back to the interview and we shift topic to his movie Raaz that at the point of interview hasn't been released yet.

"Raaz means secret! So I can't tell you anything!" he says laughing. "Raaz is Vikram Bhatt's, film conceptualised by Vikram and Mr Mahesh Bhatt. It's a fantastic story and a supernatural thriller made after a very long time. But you don't have like ghosts flying around and stuff like in the old cheesy Indian films, it's a movie with a lot of good special effects and it' s put together very well with good sound, music and all in all it's a great film, so I hope the audience accepts it."

After Raaz what's on the cards?
"I'm doing three other films so the ball's started rolling! I'm doing one more with Vikram Bhatt and am starting one with Mr Ketan Mehta, and there's one more which has just started with CineVista with Puneet Issar as the director. So I've got two action films lined up and one love story, which makes me an all round actor!"

As we wind up our conversation and I mentally prepare myself for leaving the place that has become my pad in the past hour or so. I ask him what he thinks of London, given he's been there a few times.
"I love London and had a blast!" he says enthusiastically.
"Honestly if I had the money right now I'd buy a place there and come down in the Summer and chill for a month - month and a half because I really love it! I met a lot of Pakistani boys there who were really nice and at some places people recognised and followed me saying 'hey, you're Dino', which was great 'cause I didn't expect it. You know, like being in Marks and Spencers or Selfridges and girls coming up to me asking for a picture with me and the other shoppers thinking, 'Hmm, who the hell is that guy?', haha!" .

So when is the soon-to-be superstar coming back to our cold shores?
"I really want to come there as soon as possible, let's see. It all depends on work and my films," he says hoping it really is soon. And will he meet up with Asiangigs.com readers? You bet!

I ask him out of the blue what he'd do if he was invisible for a day and what he'd get up to, because the young actor is a bundle of fun and I know he'll probably be a prankster.
"If I was invisible for a day I'd probably get up to all sorts of mischief! I'd probably follow my enemies around and point a finger at them saying 'Hey I know this about you!' or something," he says laughing. "Or maybe walk into a bank and scare the hell out of people! I don't know if I was invisible for a day I wouldn't sleep at all, I'd be going everywhere and wreaking havoc!"

Ok Dino, that's enough. What's your message to the readers of Asiangigs.com?
"Please go watch my film, if you haven't seen my film, go and see it, accept me as an actor because I'm going to be so bloody good! And enjoy yourselves, enjoy life, have fun and keep smiling!"

The big kid has spoken. Meeting Dino Morea has been fun to say the least and the down-to-earth fun-loving guy is definitely becoming hot stuff in 2002, because he has what it takes to take it to the top. Dino Morea, know the name, remember it well, you'll be hearing it everywhere soon.