Dino Morea hopes ‘Holiday’ will be lucky for him

Actor Dino Morea is on a Holiday, literally. For the past month, he has been shooting for Pooja Bhatt’s second directorial venture called “Holiday” in Goa.

Dino plays a dance instructor who sweeps the elder daughter of a holidaying family off her feet.

“I’ve been preparing for this part since September last year, learning Latin American dance steps,” says Dino.

“And it’s been worth it. Shooting ‘Holiday’ with Pooja Bhatt has been one of the most entertaining experiences. The entire schedule has been a picnic. Not since ‘Raaz’ have I been so excited about a film.”

Besides Dino, the film stars newcomer Onjolee Nair who, according to the film’s leading man, “suits her role perfectly”.

“And you’ve to see how good Nauheed Cyrusi is as Onjolee’s younger sister. She’s almost like Poo in ‘Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham’. The plot is very Jane Austen-like, very romantic. The ambience of the film is very sedate. And there’s no sex in ‘Holiday’,” Dino says.

He’s counting on “Holiday” to be his comeback film. The other interesting project that Dino will begin immediately after “Holiday” is in English.

“My first in English, it’s a cute and revealing romantic comedy featuring me and Nandana Sen tentatively called ‘Kaun-fusion’. Farouq Shaikh plays my uncle and Kitu Gidwani mom. So you see I’m in really August company, specially since the film is going to be shot in August in Delhi.”

Dino hasn’t been too lucky at the box-office lately. “Assignments I was counting on like ‘Gumnam’ and ‘Deh’ have been delayed. All I need is that one push to be on the way,” he says.

It isn’t as though Dino feels handicapped for being an outsider in the film industry.

“But I do feel the need to have asserted myself more strongly. After ‘Raaz’ I don’t think I really did the kind of work I deserved,” he says.

“For the first time since that film I’m really charged up about a project. I feel ‘Holiday’ will be a new beginning for me, especially since it’s directed by a lady (Pooja Bhatt). Women have always been lucky for me.”