Dino Morea (; born 9 December 1975) is an Indian actor and former supermodel who has appeared in Hindi, Tamil language, Kannada, Malayalam, and Telugu language films.
The 2002 romantic horror Raaz proved to be his breakthrough which was critically and commercially successful and becoming second highest grosser of the year. Subsequently, he featured in several commercially successful films, including, Gunaah (2002), Aksar (2006), Tom Dick Harry (2006) and Happy New Year (2014). He also featured in (2003), Plan (2004), Holiday (2006), Dus Kahaniyaan (2007), Bhram (2008), and Acid Factory (2009).
In the 2020s, Morea transitioned to streaming platforms, acting in series such as Mentalhood (2020), Hostages (2020), Tandav (2021), Kaun Banegi Shikharwati (2022), The Royals (2025), and Rana Naidu (2025). His performance in The Empire (2021) earned him an Indian Television Academy Award. He marked his comeback in Hindi cinema with the Housefull 5 (2025).
Early life and background
Morea was born in
Bengaluru,
Karnataka, to an Italian father and an Indian mother from
Kalamassery,
Kochi,
Kerala.
He spent the first eleven years of his life in
Italy before returning to India.
According to Morea, his name means "strong and powerful".
He is the second of three brothers; his elder brother is Nicolò Morea and his younger brother is Santino Morea.
Morea was educated at Bangalore Military School and Clarence High School, and later graduated from St. Joseph's College in Bangalore. While studying in college he represented
India in U-13 tennis competition.
He began modelling professionally and was subsequently offered his first acting role after being noticed during a fashion campaign.
Modeling career
Morea began his professional career as a fashion model, working with various clothing and lifestyle brands. In 1995, he won the Gladrags Manhunt Contest and subsequently represented India at the Manhunt International competition held in
Singapore, where he became the first
Indian people to placed second.
He later won the Gladrags Supermodel Contest in 1999.
Acting career
1998–2002: Debut and breakthrough
Morea began his acting career with a role in the television series
Captain Vyom, where he played the character Sonic. He made his film debut in
Pyaar Mein Kabhi Kabhi (1999), opposite
Rinke Khanna. The film was aimed at a young audience and earned him a nomination for the Zee Cine Award for Best Male Debut, although the award went to
Aftab Shivdasani for
Kasoor (2001).
His breakthrough came with Rajiv Menon's Tamil language-language film Kandukondain Kandukondain (2000), an adaptation of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility, where he appeared alongside an ensemble cast.
In 2002, Morea starred in Raaz, a commercially and critically successful horror thriller directed by Vikram Bhatt.
That same year, he appeared in Gunaah, directed by Amol Shetge. The film was a commercial success, and Morea's performance received positive commentary in some reviews.
2003–2019: Fluctuations and hiatus
After the success of
Raaz (2002), Morea appeared in a series of films throughout the mid-2000s.
In 2003, he starred in three films:
,
Chal: The Game of Death, and
Sssshhh.... His role in
Sssshhh... earned him a nomination for the Stardust Award for Superstar of Tomorrow – Male.
In 2004, he appeared in four films. These included Ishq Hai Tumse, a remake of the Telugu film Sampangi;
In 2005, Morea appeared in Chehraa, playing a medical student opposite Bipasha Basu, Preeti Jhangiani, and Irrfan Khan.
In 2006, he starred in Aksar, a commercially profitable thriller despite negative reviews.
Morea had four releases in 2007. He starred in Life Mein Kabhie Kabhiee, which failed to perform commercially; made a cameo in Om Shanti Om during the song "Deewangi Deewangi"; appeared in Dus Kahaniyaan, an anthology film; and acted in Deha, his final release that year.
In 2008, Morea acted in the thriller film Bhram, portraying a supermodel.
His final major acting role during this period was in Pyaar Impossible!(2010). That same year, he participated as a contestant on the reality television show .
in 2012]]Morea transitioned to production in 2012 with the erotic thriller Jism 2, which starred Sunny Leone in her Bollywood debut and performed well commercially.
2020–present: Streaming ventures and resurgence
After a hiatus from lead roles, Morea returned to acting with a supporting role in
Solo (2017) and later appeared in several streaming series, including
Mentalhood (2020),
Hostages (2020),
Tandav (2021), and
Kaun Banegi Shikharwati (2022). His performance in
The Empire (2021) earned him an Indian Television Academy Award.in 2023, He appeared as an antagonist in
Agent and
Bandra.
2025, he played a significant role in the film
Mere Husband Ki Biwi.
He also appeared in the comedy sequel
Housefull 5 as Bedi Dobriyal.
The film features an ensemble cast including
Akshay Kumar,
Riteish Deshmukh, Abhishek Bachchan,
Sanjay Dutt,
Fardeen Khan,
Jackie Shroff,
Nargis Fakhri, Chitrangada Singh,
Chunky Pandey and
Johnny Lever.
The film went on to become the second highest‑grossing installment in the Housefull franchise,making it the eight-biggest Hindi film of 2025.
Indian entertainment publication
Bollywood Hungama praised his performance as a "solid and strong," while
Firstpost highlighted Morea's performance as a standout amidst the film's entertaining but sometimes overstretched storyline.
The Times of India and other critics appreciated the humor but noted the film lacked consistently strong material overall.
He also starred in the web series
Rana Naidu and
The Royals the same year.
He appeared in
Four More Shots Please.
Off-screen work
Philanthropy
Morea serves as the captain and
midfielder of the
All Stars Football Club, a celebrity football team that participates in matches to raise funds for charitable causes. He played in a high-profile charity cricket match organized by the
IIFA at Headingley Carnegie Stadium in
Leeds,
England, on June 8, 2007. The event featured a star-studded Indian celebrity team—including
Virat Kohli,
Kapil Dev,
Vivek Oberoi,
Ajay Devgn,
Shilpa Shetty,
Sunny Deol, and many others—competing against a UK celebrity team and the match benefited the IIFA Foundation's charitable causes.
Morea attended a charity football match for the
Salman Khan Being Human Foundation in Mumbai on August 15, 2009.
Dino joined
Salman Khan,
Aamir Khan,
Amitabh Bachchan, and others for a
Blood donation in
Bandra,
Mumbai on August 15, 2010.
In March 2013, he participated in a match to support the
Magic Funds Organisation, which works with underprivileged children.
In 2016, he became associated with Pet Fed, an event platform for pets, joining as an investor and supporter.
Brand endorsement
Morea has also been engaged as a brand ambassador to represent sport leagues, charity organizations, and Indian states. He has endorsed prominent brands including
Bisleri, 7 Up, Close up, Colgate Fresh,
Denim,
Calida, Lakmé, Siyaram, Hero Honda CBZ, Monte Carlo and
Titan Company. In May 2008, Dino Morea signed up as the brand ambassador for Bangalore Marathon.
In September 2009, he became the brand ambassador of Goa Pro Soccer League.
Backstage performances
Morea has taken part in several stage performances and international concert tours. In 2010, he performed at a concert in
Suva,
Fiji, alongside
Priyanka Chopra.
In 2011, he joined Shah Rukh Khan,
Rani Mukerji, and
Dia Mirza at the Airtel-Bindass concert tour. In 2014, he participated in a live performance event in
Pune with
Snoop Dogg.
Business
Morea has been involved in multiple entrepreneurial initiatives.
In 2012, he co-founded the merchandising company Cool Maal with cricketer
MS Dhoni and
Yuvraj Singh.
He later established
Clockwise Films, a production company, in 2013.
That same year, he co-founded a lifestyle and entertainment venture called
Playground with
Nandita Mahtani.
He has partnership with a photo sharing app called
Vebbler. He owns a restaurants named
Crepe Station Café in
Bandra.
It is one of the fastest developing chains in
India which offers
Pancake,
Waffle and
Eggs Benedict.
In 2013, he initiated the installation of outdoor Gym in Wadala and Bandra, Mumbai. These facilities were inaugurated with the involvement of actor Hrithik Roshan and politician Aaditya Thackeray.
In 2019, Morea and restaurateur Ketan Kadam received an award from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) for a project aimed at replacing horse-drawn carriages in Mumbai with battery-operated electric vehicles.
He is also the co-founder of The Fresh Press, a cold-pressed juice brand, and serves as a board director at the Gruhas Collective Consumer Fund (GCCF), an investment platform focused on consumer brands.
Personal life
Morea resides in
Bandra, Mumbai, in a home named Casa-Morea.
He is known for maintaining a disciplined fitness routine and was recognized with the Iconic Health & Fitness Ambassador award at the
Mid-Day.
He is reported to be fluent in several languages, including
English language,
Hindi language,
Italian language,
Urdu language,
Kannada language,
French language, and Portuguese.
Relationship
Morea began a relationship with actress
Bipasha Basu in 1996.
The two worked together in multiple films and modeling assignments.
In 1998, an advertisement for the Swiss undergarment brand
Calida featuring Morea and Basu drew controversy for its content and was subsequently withdrawn.
The couple ended their relationship shortly after the release of
Raaz (2002).
He was briefly in a relationship with actress and model Lara Dutta from 2008 to 2009.
Belief
Morea was raised in a
Roman Catholic household and has openly celebrated
Liturgical year such as
Easter and
Halloween with his family.
In 2023, Morea was invited among several members of India's Christian community to a
Christmas celebration hosted by Prime Minister
Narendra Modi at his official residence in
New Delhi.
In the media
Artistry and legacy
In Indian media, Morea has often been referred to as a "
Chocolate Boy", a term used to describe his youthful appearance and conventional attractiveness. He dominated and redefined the Indian modeling scene before male modeling was
Mainstream media, gained international recognition, had the perfect look for print and runway, and bridged the gap to
Hindi cinema, influencing generations after him.
He has been noted for his commitment to his roles and described as having a versatile screen presence.
A 2008 feature in
India Today titled "
The Boylet Club" identified him as one of Bollywood's "alpha males" of the time.
cited him as one of the top Indian male models who successfully transitioned into acting.
In 2025, The Times of India marked him “…the unforgettable 90s heroes who became India’s first big
Infatuation”, describing him as “tall, white, and incredibly handsome”.
magazine regarded him as 'Supermodel of 2000s'.
and journalists have occasionally commented on his style and performances; Onkar Kulkarni of
Times of India referred to him as a "stylish superhero,"
while
Taran Adarsh of
Bollywood Hungama remarked on his sincerity and screen presence.
In February 1999, Morea appeared on the cover of the international edition of Elle magazine.
Wealth and assets
Morea has been listed in various publications among Indian film personalities with significant net worth.
As of 2025, his net worth has been estimated at over US$150 million by some sources. He is reported to own several high-end vehicles, including models such as the Rolls Royce Ghost, BMW M8, Lamborghini Sián, Mercedes GLS, Porsche 911,
Ford Everest, as well as motorcycles like the Harley-Davidson Forty-Eight, Royal Enfield Bullet 500, and Aprilia RSV4. Reports also indicate that he owns multiple residential properties in India and abroad.
Filmography
Awards and nominations
|
| 1995 | Gladrags Supermodel Contest | Most Popular Model Award | | | |
| 1999 | Zee Cine Awards | Best Male Debut | Pyaar Mein Kabhi Kabhi | | |
| 2002 | Best Male Actor | Raaz | | |
| 2003 | Dynamic Duo-with Bipasha Basu | | |
| Screen Awards | Jodi No. 1 (along with Bipasha Basu) | | [ Raaz is different, Webindia123.com, Retrieved on 15 December 2008] |
| V Shantaram Film Award | Best actor | | |
| 2004 | Stardust Awards | Superstar of Tomorrow – Male | Sssshhh... | | |
| 2007 | National Youth Icon Award | Best Youth Icon of the Year | | | |
| 2021 | Mid-Day | Iconic Health & Fitness Ambassador | | | |
| 2022 | Indian Television Academy Awards | Best Supporting Actor Drama OTT | The Empire | | |
| IWM Buzz Award | Most Popular Negative Character in a Web Series | | |
Notes
See also
-
List of Bollywood actors
-
List of Indian television actors
-
Lists of Indian actors
-
Italians in India
External links
