Shantanu Maheshwari, who was in Chandigarh recently, says the dancer inside him can never take a backseat although the actor within is rising

Sheetal

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His style quotient and dance moves have sure turned many heads, but more recently he has been praised for the versatile characters he has essayed on screen. Be it for the National award-winning film Gangubai Kathiawadi or web series Tooth Pari: When Love Bites, dancer-actor Shantanu Maheshwari has definitely done some noticeable roles in the past couple of years.

Back-to-back shooting for months, the actor doesn’t have time to sit back and relax. He happened to be in the City Beautiful to shoot for a music video recently. It’s the second time that Shantanu got to shoot around the farms and villages near Chandigarh. While he couldn’t reveal much about this upcoming video, he sure was touched by the naive and friendly Punjabis.

He shares, “It’s true that an actor’s job seems fun with a lot of travelling involved. But at the same time, we don’t get much time to enjoy the vibe of the cities we have been to, as we are too caught up in work. But I enjoy each experience. I would definitely want to stay in Chandigarh zone for long and explore the nearby places.”

Secure space

With a lot on his plate, from music videos to a dance project and an upcoming film with famous director Neeraj Pandey, Shantanu says, “I believe there’s no fine line between what’s personal and what’s professional. An artiste is never satisfied, but as you achieve more professionally you also feel more secure about taking personal decisions. So career and personal goals go hand in hand.”

As Alia Bhatt bags the National Award for her role in Gangubai Kathiawadi, Shantanu adds, “The film has been special for me, as I got to work with director Sanjay Leela Bhansali. I feel blessed as my character was appreciated and more so to be able to hold my own opposite Alia! There was a lot to learn on this job.” While he wants to do more work with SLB and other big directors, it doesn’t mean he has apprehensions about working with first-time directors. His next with Neeraj Pandey has Ajay Devgn and Tabu in the lead roles, and is titled Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha.

Look wise

About being typecast for his ‘chocolaty’ boy looks, Shantanu thinks it’s not entirely true, as artistes are offered all kind of roles based on their previous projects. “There are always makers or producers who would offer you content based on your looks, but one has to master the art of refusing politely,” says the actor.

On being the product of his dancing skills and first dance-based teen drama, Dil Dosti Dance, Shantanu feels, “It’s my dancing talent that struck a chord with audiences and thus the dancer in me can never take a back seat.”

It took Shantanu considerable amount of time to take a leap from television to films, but he doesn’t hold anything against social media influencers who get fame based on their followers or viral videos. He shares, “Everybody has his or her share of struggles, just because we see them on Instagram and then all of a sudden in a series or film doesn’t mean they have it easy. But the vice-versa thing is not right, as even if you are a good actor you are judged by the amount of followers and online engagements. I personally find it hard to keep up with social media.” In fact, the actor confesses, “My friends have the same complaint that I don’t reply to messages. I am a call person and when working, get missed calls from my family too. I am guilty on that count.”