Talking about how he enjoys doing action sequences, Dino says, “In the earlier phase of my career, filmmakers only perceived me as this sweet, good-looking boy next door. I was offered to play a romantic hero, but never got an opportunity to do an all-out action film. I have a knack for action as I am fit and flexible, but no one has ever tapped that part of my personality. In Agent, I will get to do some raw brutal action and I’m excited about that.”
While growing up, Dino loved binging on hardcore action content and so he’s thrilled to be a part of the genre now. He shares, “It’s quite an exciting genre as I have personally loved watching such films as an audience. So, for me to act in an action film where the good guys or the underdogs win is what I was always looking forward to. Some of the action movies (and franchises) I grew up watching were First Blood, Commando, Rocky, Rambo, Mission: Impossible, Die Hard and The Bourne Identity. Closer home, I have enjoyed watching Amitji’s (Amitabh Bachchan) action films like Deewar, Trishul and Don.”
Not only did he enjoy watching these, but they also inspired him to turn to action. And then there were his favourite action stars like, “Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, John-Claude Van Damme, Amitabh Bachchan and Sanjay Dutt” he was in awe of seeing them do action on screen.
Talking about his look from the film, which also stars Akhil Akkineni and Mammootty, Dino says, “I play an agent who’s gone rogue. He’s quite a crazy guy, and an anti-hero. I am flaunting long hair and a beard. It has been nearly three years since I have seen my face without any facial hair. I grew my hair and beard for The Empire and haven’t cut it since then (laughs),” he shares. So, does he enjoy playing characters with grey shades? “There’s a certain madness you can bring to a negative character and the audience loves watching that. Even as a kid, when I watched James Bond movies, I remembered the villains more than the protagonist. Look at The Dark Knight, the character of The Joker is unforgettable in that film,” he explains.
While Dino has been a part of South films like Kandukondain Kandukondain (2000), Julie (2006) and Solo (2017), with Agent, he makes his debut in Telugu cinema. “They are making fantastic movies. We all know that some of their films have been huge blockbusters. I am working with director Surender Reddy, who has already made some highly successful films. So, why not? I am an actor and I need to be seen in a different kind of cinema and the story just floored me,” he signs off.
