Bollywood actor Dino Morea has acted in Tamil, and Kannada films and now he is all set to make his Tollywood (Telugu) acting debut in Agent. Directed by Surender Reddy, the film also stars Mammootty and Akhil Akkineni. In an exclusive interaction with The Free Press Journal, Dino talks about the film and more. Excerpts:
How challenging was it for you to reinvent yourself with your roles?
It was challenging enough ever since I started rejecting scripts which didn’t mean anything or weren’t great. There was a lull period when I wasn’t getting much work and the offers coming to me were terrible. I had faith in myself and kept myself prepared. I thought about how I could reinvent myself. Tandav (2021) in a way was sort of my first move and then The Empire (2021) just shook everything up.
Do you feel that OTT is a more liberated medium than films?
It’s a different medium. When The Empire released, I had the same nervousness. I was concerned about how people would receive it. But while acting in a long format, you have enough time to act and work on your character. It also gives time to audiences to live with your character more than just in a two-hour film.
How did your Telugu debut happen?
My director saw a few bits of mine in The Empire. By then Mammootty sir and Akhil were cast as the movie is about three R&AW agents. He liked my look and he thought that I would be perfect for the third agent. I was blown away with the narration. However, it’s an antagonist’s role but it’s a cool one. For me, it was a good opportunity to do my Telugu debut.
Tell us something about the styling of your character in Agent.
When we were discussing my character, the director wanted something great and cool. He wanted to give a Terminator feel to it. I have 2-3 scars on my forehead in the film as I am tortured and all. So, he came up with the idea that my character will put a metal plate and green fluid to hide his scars. Since my character is mad, he has long hair and suddenly he will chop it off one day. He didn’t want a constant look for me. It’s a complete mass commercial character.
Did you learn Telugu language for the film?
I would go prepared on the sets to be honest. I was mugging my lines. The moment I told my director that I am ready, he used to change the whole thing. I learnt the art of being prompt. It’s another talent altogether. But we pulled it off. For me, language shouldn’t be a barrier but ultimately it had to be dubbed else diction won’t be right. I can speak Tamil and a bit of Malayalam. After Agent, my Malayalam film will come out.
Do you believe that antagonists are more powerful than heroes in our films currently?
I believe that if an antagonist is powerful, the protagonist will become more powerful. In The Empire, I played a ruthless killer but people sent me love messages and appreciated my character. Also, I feel, the casting plays an important role. For The Empire, casting director Kavish Sinha could see me in a role I had never done before.
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