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Dino Morea with Sunny Leone in Calcutta last week. Picture by Pabitra Das |
Model-turned-actor-turned-producer Dino Morea was in Calcutta recently for the promotion of Jism 2, his debut film as producer. t2 caught up with him.
How different is promoting a film as a producer as opposed to doing it as an actor?
The motive is the same… you are there marketing your film and making sure that more and more people watch it. As a producer, there is also the financial aspect where you put in lots of money and so you are more than eager for your film to work. When you are a producer the responsibility towards your film is all the more.
How did Jism 2 happen?
Well, Pooja (Bhatt, the director of Jism 2) directed me in Holiday (2006) and we go back even longer. When I heard that she was making Jism 2, I met her and told her: ‘Listen, I would like to co-produce the film’. She agreed instantly. We put this movie together, put in a lot of effort and thankfully, people are loving Jism 2.
Are you a hands-on producer?
I was very much a hands-on producer. I got down and dirty in everything… whether it was travel agent work or booking hotels or coordinating on the sets! (Laughs) I did everything that a producer does and even beyond because I needed to learn on the job.
Did you pitch in creatively?
We had creative minds in the form of Pooja and Mahesh Bhatt and the actors also pitched in with their suggestions. I left the creative aspect completely to Pooja and Bhattsaab because production takes a lot out of you and you have to be very involved with the day-to-day logistics. I completely concentrated on that.
Did you miss acting while producing Jism 2?
Oh ya, ya… the actor in you always strains to come out in some way. During this film, there were many times when I missed being in front of the camera. But I haven’t really said goodbye to acting. I am just waiting for a good script to come along. I need to do something that is impactful and I do have time.
So is it a lot more films as producer for you from now on?
It is a very tough job. There is a lot of responsibility involved because you have to make a film within a budget and sell it profitably. Yes, I want to continue with this and I want my company (Dino Morea Productions) to make many more films, some with me in it and some without. |
