Has Dino approached the top Khan?

By: Taran Adarsh, IndiaFM
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Dino Morea is getting ready for a new innings. After making his debut with Pyaar Mein Kabhi Kabhi, the model turned actor returned with a bang with Raaz, the biggest hit of his career. Dino is now ready to embark on a new journey -- he's getting into film production.

Although there have been whispers about Dino's debut film as a producer, the actor divulged exclusive details of his first venture in a chat with this writer.

Dino has joined hands with Shameem Desai to produce his first film. Shameem will direct the film himself. Shameem who, did you ask? Over to Dino, "Shameem has more than 400 commercials to his credit. I've worked with him in the past, in ads and also in a video that he directed. He's an extremely talented guy."

Dino has ambitious plans up his sleeve. "It's my dream to make a stylish venture. I don't want to start with a small film. I know the ground realities. Its tough attracting buyers first and moviegoers later. When finance is readily available in the market, why opt for something small? You've got to work with big stars to take that leap. I want to start with a bang," Dino answers like a complete pro.

The actor hasn't finalized the casting yet. There's talk that he has approached one of the top actors for the principal role. "I am not revealing names right now. You know how it works here. God forbid, if the actor refuses the film for some reason, the other actor I would approach may play hard to get. I'll take my next step when I receive the feedback from this actor," Dino says. Though Dino didn't confirm this, there're whispers that he has approached one of the Khans for the role in question.

What's the film all about? "I don't know if I should be revealing much at this stage, but let me give you the gist. It's set in the pre-independence era. We will be presenting a stunning looking India in our film. We've also registered a title, the film is called John Mohammed Ali Master. It's a different title, right? That's because the protagonist is half English, half Indian," Dino reveals.

Dino has bounced off the idea of his debut film to friends like Karan Johar. How did Karan respond? "Did he tell you that? [no Dino, Karan didn't!]... Well, he loved the premise of the film, but added that the screenplay is of paramount importance. He loved Shameem's vision," Dino adds.

Dino's production company is called Clockwork Films. "That's because I plan to work with clockwork precision. Everything will be well planned at the outset, on paper. We will devote 6/8 months on pre-production details, before taking off," Dino avows.

What if the casting doesn't materialize? Surely, he must've penciled some alternatives. "I would put the project on hold for a year and start something new: A film with new young actors. Will my brother Santino make his debut in this film? Yes, he will," Dino asserts.