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Missing: How this half-Italian Bollywood actor got tangled in Sushant Singh Rajput's case

Bollywood is not for everyone.

Some realise it sooner and tread different paths to make different achievements in life, while others keep trying till the industry throws them off.

In this giant rigmarole of realisations and refusals, we have seen many of our beloved celebs fading out into oblivion, leaving us wondering, “Where are they, how are they...?”

This “Missing Report” series digs deep into the untold stories of such missing stars, and today we are covering Dino Morea.

MUMBAI, INDIA - JANUARY 18: Actor Dino Morea at an event in Mumbai on January 18, 2010.  (Photo by Yogen Shah/The India Today Group via Getty Images)
MUMBAI, INDIA - JANUARY 18: Actor Dino Morea at an event in Mumbai on January 18, 2010. (Photo by Yogen Shah/The India Today Group via Getty Images)

From modeling to Bollywood

If you are a 90s kid then you will know how women had fawned over this half-Italian, half-Indian, dashingly gorgeous-looking model-turned-actor called Dino Morea. The actor stole everyone’s heart when he made his Bollywood debut with Twinkle Khanna’s baby sister, Rinke Khanna, in Pyaar Mein Kabhi Kabhi.

People soon realised that this Bangalorite is not just a pretty face after showing off his acting chops in a Tamil film called Kandukondain Kandukondain, 2002 cult horror film Raaz, and a thriller film Gunaah. Over the years, he did films like Baaz: A Bird in Danger, Sssshhh..., Rakht, Aksar, and Acid Factory, but he wasn’t able to achieve the kind of stardom his peers had.

He was even known for his relationships with designer Nandita Mahtani and his leading ladies Bipasha Basu and Lara Dutta. In fact, Lara’s ex-boyfriend and Morea’s best friend Kelly Dorjee accused him of being the reason for breaking up their 10-year-long relationship.

MUMBAI,INDIA JUNE 01 : Bipasha Basu and Dino Morea at R.Madhavans birthday party in Mumbai.(Photo by Milind Shelte/The India Today Group via Getty Images)
MUMBAI,INDIA JUNE 01 : Bipasha Basu and Dino Morea at R.Madhavans birthday party in Mumbai.(Photo by Milind Shelte/The India Today Group via Getty Images)

His filmy career soon became stagnant and instead of being the lead actor, he started doing supporting roles and special appearances before vanishing from Bollywood.

Life post-films

As an alternate career, Dino Morea, with the help of his brother, set up a cafe in the heart of Mumbai, called Crepe Station. The cafe served European delicacies like crepes, pancakes and waffles among other food items on the menu.

Judging from his Instagram, he is also into fitness and a healthy lifestyle. In 2010, he appeared in Khatron Ke Khiladi as a contestant.

Two years after that, he produced Jism 2 in 2012 and went to Delhi after that to do an acting course. In 2015 he appeared in another reality TV series called I Can Do That, which was hosted by Farhan Akhtar.

Return to acting

After a hiatus, the actor was seen in a South India film called Solo, which also starred Dulquer Salmaan in the lead role. Post that, Morea appeared in web series called Mentalhood with Karisma Kapoor and Hostages 2 where he plays a negative character.

Mentalhood
Mentalhood

In an interview, the actor spoke about taking a break from Bollywood. He recalled receiving a lot of opportunities earlier and said that the industry has given him a lot. “I took a step back because of the kind of movies I was getting. I took a conscious decision not to accept stupid films and scripts that were coming my way."

Talking about taking up new projects on OTT platform, Dino believes the OTT helps him, "instantly reach out to millions of viewers as compared to a movie, though movies have a charm that is unmatched. I don't differentiate between mediums and I feel if your web show is interesting and people love it, then it reaches out to a wide number of people all over the world. I enjoyed the roles in both projects I was a part of and I am looking forward to the other OTT projects that I am currently working on."

He is also currently producing a movie called Helmet which stars Aparshakti Khurana.

Dino Morea and Sushant Singh Rajput case

The actor name came into limelight recently in the Sushant Singh Rajput’s suicide-related case when a former executive of Dharmatic Entertainment, an offshoot of Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions, told a court that Narcotics Control Bureau officers made him falsely implicate actors Ranbir Kapoor, Arjun Rampal and Dino Morea during questioning. The executive was arrested in connection to the NCB’s ongoing probe into Bollywood’s alleged drugs links.

MUMBAI, INDIA - MARCH 20: (EDITOR’S NOTE: This is an exclusive shoot of Hindustan Times) Bollywood actors Dino Morea and Sushant Singh Rajput during Hindustan Times Most Stylish Awards 2016 at Taj Lands End, Bandra on March 20, 2016 in Mumbai, India. (Photo by Pramod Thakur/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)
MUMBAI, INDIA - MARCH 20: (EDITOR’S NOTE: This is an exclusive shoot of Hindustan Times) Bollywood actors Dino Morea and Sushant Singh Rajput during Hindustan Times Most Stylish Awards 2016 at Taj Lands End, Bandra on March 20, 2016 in Mumbai, India. (Photo by Pramod Thakur/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)

Further to this, former Maharashtra chief minister Narayan Rane told the media that Dino had played host to Sushant and a "politician" at a party he organised at his residence on June 13, the day before Sushant's death.

Dino Morea rubbished reports that claimed he had hosted a party at his residence on the night of June 13, where late actor Sushant Singh Rajput was present along with several high-profile guests.

We have also covered missing reports on Celina Jaitly, Mallika Sherawat, Uday Chopra, Amrita Rao, Mahima Chaudhury, Harman Baweja, Shamita Shetty, Gayatri Joshi, Tanisha Mukerjee, Gracy Singh, Asin, Amrita Arora, Jugal Hansraj, Lucky Ali, Somi Ali, and Fardeen Khan.