Dinkar Rao: “What clicks or matters is how well you suit the role you are offered”

By Jyothi Venkatesh

Dinkar Rao is playing an Indian drug dealer from Mombasa, Kenya in the chase thriller Dope Girl that is due for release this year. It is an engrossing action film that has completely been shot at actual locations in Mumbai. Dope Girl is produced by Lavanya Rao of Lavanya Entertainment and its director and Cinematographer is Manish Sharma, who had directed films Jawani Diwani starring Emraan Hashmi and Celina Jaitley and the Aftab Shivdasani, Gracy Singh starrer Muskaan.

One of Dinkar’s earlier films ‘Sanyogita – The Bride in Red’ had Dinkar Rao playing the lead actor starring opposite Divya Dutta, Milind Gunaji and other NSDians. Directed by the German Indian film maker Sadashivam Rao, Sanyogita had bagged critical acclaim at Lyons Film festival, Bollywood & Beyond Stuttgart and was released in Europe.

Dinkar reveals that he was highly influenced by the legendary martial arts master & star Bruce Lee, “Bruce Lee was God to me in my childhood. I even had the Bruce Lee book ‘Tao of Jeet Kune Do’ and practised with the Nan Chako. Since childhood, my brothers and I trained each other in Karate while living in Delhi. We would also keep the side kick stance at 90 degrees plus.”

Dinkar further adds “Most of my upcoming films are action oriented and I have received offers to act in action films in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam. One of the upcoming films is expected to get released by November 2023. Now I am focused on acting only in the action genre. I shall continue to act in Bollywood movies and am open to Marathi or Gujarati films too.”

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A Diploma in Communications holder, Dinkar Rao was quite active behind the camera donning the role of director some time back. He says “I have left direction behind and have moved on. I enjoyed that period very much.”

To his credit are the films like Papoo Photowalah, Zoya the black Widow, PopCon, Dancing Daughters, Railway Raju, Ek Dopahar and Asthi-Ashes of my mother, as director.

A Q&A with Dinkar Rao:

How did you start your acting career.?

I did join an acting school in Juhu where I got to grasp Method Acting etc – Stanislevesky form of acting. The best part here was learning the nuances of Urdu – diction – the “nukhta” it stamped my brain.

You wanted to be an actor> How come you ended up being behind the camera?

Mumbai’s glamour has always fascinated me. When I came to Mumbai I saw all the struggles of fresh actors so I thought I’ll get bored just taking rounds of offices. I therefore joined as an assistant director – watched stars perform – on shoots – then learnt  from them – also observed  – an actor performs – a star has to have style (also).

What is your perspective on acting?

I feel that in films an actors has to play roles which immediately impact and in web shows , the more a role is  character driven, the more it does offer much scope to an actor to display his talent. All forms are equally appreciated now– feature films, shorts and web series. What clicks or matters is how well you suit it. I believe to underplay as much.

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What can you reveal about your upcoming film Dope Girl?

Dope Girl that is presently on floors and it’s principal photography is complete. I play the lead role of a Indian dope dealer from Mombasa, Kenya who arrives in India and is tracking & chasing a girl across Mumbai city ( Pali Hill,Juhu,Versova,Madh Island), a drug mule, who wants to leave this business.

Apart from Sanyogita and the upcoming Dope Girl, which are your other films as an actor?

I have also acted in the feature film Papoo Photowalah, a treasure hunt film (with an international cast and shot in Old Delhi & Agra) and an upcoming web series Deadly Day, a story on border terrorism spanning all borders (Northeast, Kashmir, Jaisalmer, Punjab & South India) in which I play the antagonist, Baba Salim.