After the release of Gangubai Kathiawadi, Shantanu Maheshwari was hailed by the media as a Sanjay Leela Bhansali discovery. But he isn’t a rank newcomer. Thousands of fans know him as Swayam Shekhawat from the hit television show, Dil Dosti Dance. D3, as it is popularly called, was an instant favourite with desi millennials who were just hitting the peak of their adolescence. That's when Shantanu Maheshwari and his gang came into their lives and became the subject of many canteen discussions across schools and colleges in India. Looking back at his journey, he reflects, “It’s been a long journey but I’m happy with whatever I have gone through. It feels amazing to be a part of Sanjay sir’s movie. He’s the best that I could have ever dreamt of to work with,” he says, overwhelmed. Shantanu plays the role of Afsaan, Alia Bhatt’s love interest, in the film. His scenes with Alia are special because there aren’t many words involved but the romance is sweet and lovely.
The lack of dialogue doesn’t bother Shantanu. He’s happy that his segments with Alia where the two convey so much without saying anything have got much love from critics and the audience alike. "For me, it was such a unique love story where you don't have many dialogues but the emotions that you see on screen are so deep and profound and the language that we used to talk in… talking through our eyes, gestures, body language. It was just an amazing thing.”
He first met Alia on the sets of a reality show, when she was doing the promotional rounds for her debut film Student Of The Year (2012). She called him a hottie. Shantanu asked her if she remembered that when they met to do prep work for Gangubai… and was gratified when Alia remembered bumping into him all those years ago. “She was there as a guest and we shared a moment where I tried to teach her some dance steps. She was warmth and sweetness personified then and nothing has changed now. She’s still the same person,” gushes Shantanu. He says performing with her, as opposed to performing in front of her, was certainly different. “We broke the ice over casual conversation. I reminded her of our first meeting and we were yakking like old friends after a while. That helped when it came to doing our scenes together. We had many intimate scenes together, which would have been difficult to perform, if she wasn’t so warm and friendly.”
While there will be many who'll wonder about his overnight success, Shantanu Maheshwari has had a long, long journey. It wasn't always roses and candy floss for the actor. It was a struggle to fit in mainly because the pace of Mumbai is so different from the city of his birth, Kolkata. Nevertheless, after his successful debut in Dil Dosti Dance in 2011, Maheshwari went on to participate in Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi 8 and won that season. While Shantanu is an actor by profession, dance is his first love. The 30-year-old is a member of Desi Hoppers, a dance crew that participated in the World of Dance 2015 Championship in Los Angeles and went on to emerge as winners. Desi Hoppers even had a special appearance on America's Got Talent (season 11). He's been a staple on reality shows in India whether it is Nach Baliye, Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa or MTV Big F 2. He also had a special performance on Bigg Boss 10.
Shantanu was selected for Gangubai Kathiawadi through an extensive audition process. “I cleared one round, second round, third round and I was still not very sure with where this was heading. I decided to just enjoy the process and not think of the outcome. I was thrilled that I was getting a chance to audition for Sanjay Leela Bhansali. I wasn’t expecting anything out of it and when it happened it came as a big surprise.”
Initially, he had a hard time believing he was selected and almost didn’t go to the final meeting with SLB because of a prior work commitment. He believes in sticking to his commitments and since he was already booked for another project he was finding it hard to leave that. His friends cajoled him to take one hour off and meet Bhansali. He went because he wanted to meet the director for a long time. “I went just for the experience. The universe works in mysterious ways I guess, as said he was pleased with my auditions and offered me the role.”
Despite getting accolades for his role, Shantanu still can’t believe he’s done the film. The reality of it has yet to sink in. “Sanjay sir is an icon. It’s every actor’s dream to work with him. And even after you’ve worked with him, it still feels like a dream. One doesn’t absorb the fact easily.” Shantanu says working with SLB is a huge ego booster. “Initially, you feel he’s made a mistake in casting you. You doubt whether you’re worthy of being directed by him. But as you spend time on the sets, you realise he has invested with you because you fit in his vision. Then you just surrender yourself to his commands and go with the flow.”
The Bhansali set was also difficult for him to adjust to initially but he learned to let go of inhibitions and just trust in the master’s process. "Most of the sets I come from, there is a bit of a chaotic feel to it, the hustle-bustle but on this set, there was absolute silence so being able to accept that silence and perform was initially something I found difficult because I was not used to it. But once I adapted to it, it was fun, it had its own charm and its own value. Once I accepted the silence, I started enjoying the way the flow was happening in terms of the performance."
He struggles to give voice to his emotions when asked about the response to Gangubai Kathiawadi. “I'm glad that I'm getting positive responses for my role, as well as for the film...Because of COVID-19 and the constant lockdowns, it took two-and-a-half years for this movie to get released. I knew we’d made a great movie and was anxious to see how the audience would react to it. It’s doing great at the box office and has been lauded by the critics. I'm feeling relaxed and happy these days.”