Dino Morea on his equation with ex-girlfriend Bipasha Basu: ‘I don’t think it changed ever’

Actor Dino Morea, who dated actor Bipasha Basu during their early days in Bollywood, has said that his equation with her never changed. In a new interview with Hindustan Times, Dino talked about his former girlfriend Bipasha, his latest show The Empire and facing backlash over the historical web series that recently premiered on Disney+Hotstar.

On being asked if his equation with Bipasha Basu changed after their break-up, Dino Morea said, “My equation with Bipasha Basu from Raaz to Gunaah had not changed. I don’t think it changed ever. Yes, we were dating when we were shooting Raaz. Then we were not dating during Gunaah. But, I think we were both professional actors and we both wanted to be professional on the sets and in the industry. So, we did not let our personal relationship come in between our work, we let that stay out of the work we did. I think we both handled everything very professionally.” Both the films released in 2002.

Dino further said, “My equation with her is still…I mean we both respect each other and we both are still friendly, very friendly. In fact, we don’t talk as much but we talk every now and then and there are those cherished memories which were wonderful. So, the equation is great!”

Dino’s latest appearance as Shaybani Khan in The Empire, created by Nikkhil Advani, is being widely appreciated. However, a group of people had also demanded a ban on the web series, claiming that it “glorified Mughals”. Responding to it, the actor said, “I took on this show and I took on the character (of Shaybani Khan), and not even once did I think there’d be any backlash for it. Firstly, this (the web series) is based on a book. Secondly, there is a lot of fiction. We are not saying it is a biopic of anyone. We are just creating a drama, we are just creating a saga, of an era 600 years ago, and a story that took place in another country Fergana, which is now Uzbekistan.”

He added, “People who had an issue with the show after its release are actually those who have not even watched the show. The number of people who liked the show outnumbers those who have a problem with it. Moreover, we are not hurting anybody, nor are we glorifying anybody, unlike what people are saying. If you watch the show, you’d know what I mean. So, all this did not affect me, it still does not. The show is wonderfully done and people are loving it. So, I am more excited than being worried about anything at all.”

Also read: The Empire director reacts to Kabir Khan’s remark on Mughals’ portrayal in films

Dino further said, “Yes, we do live in an era where everybody has a phone and everybody who has a phone has an opinion. And there are trolls. I keep repeating this. The trolls do not pay your bills. You cannot base your life on their opinions. You base your life, and you live your life on your terms. Your opinion matters, and the opinions of the people closest to you matter. Nobody else’s opinion matters.”