The ’90s generation knows Shantanu Maheshwari as Swayam Shekhawat (Dil Dosti Dance) while the current generation recognizes him as Ishaan (Campus Beats). However, dancing is not the only thing he excels at. In recent years, he made a mark on the big screen with two major films, Gangubai Kathiawadi and Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha. In a free-wheeling conversation with Filmfare, Shantanu who was rocking the TV industry, revealed that his delayed big-screen debut was due to the lack of proper guidance but emphasized that he has no regrets. Excerpts:
Tell us about the fourth season of Campus Beats that is receiving so much love…
We had a great time shooting this season. We already shot for 3 seasons so there is an existing bond. This time there is a lot more dancing than in the previous season. We had to remember multiple choreographies. It was lovely to be able to challenge myself. This season, I also had to learn a bit of break dancing.
You have an amazing chemistry with your co-star Shruti Sinha on screen. How is the bond off-screen?
We are very good friends. I don’t know how to define this friendship but we gel along. We hang out a lot and it is a natural thing.
How similar are you to your character Ishaan?
I am very different from Ishaan. There are a few aspects which I can relate to but this was the first time I was playing a bad boy with a good heart. He has a specific way of thinking. He is loyal and passionate about what he does but at the same time, he has a certain flair which can come across as very negative. It was very difficult for me to get into the skin of the character and crack it. I somehow managed to do that with the beautiful writing and multiple questions from my side to the director.
At what point in your life did you realize that you want to be a dancer and an actor?
I wanted to be a performer – a choreographer. I came to Mumbai for my studies- not to get into the industry. I used to run away from acting initially and say that I don’t resonate with this. I used to find it very difficult to talk in front of people. When I did Dil Dosti Dance (D3), I realized that I wanted to dance and act.
Were your parents apprehensive of you choosing an off-beat career?
It was quite the opposite. My parents saw potential in me. As I said, acting was not something I wanted to pursue. It was my mom who insisted. She always believed in me. Even my dancing talent is something that she saw in me. She struggled a lot to make sure I went to a dance class and kept exploring my talent. But they were clear that I am also concentrating on my studies. It is an uncertain career. People can either make it or keep struggling. The struggle is never-ending in this field.
You have been a part of a lot of youth-based shows. Do you feel any special connection to these?
I feel connected absolutely. These are the shows that I want to watch also. I resonate with these stories. Nowadays, they don’t make youth shows. Everything is dark, grey and heavy. I miss those breezy shows at times which are lighthearted but at the same time, they have some moral ground. Today’s youth would want to watch what we watched growing up.
Your characters in Campus Beat or D3 were college heartthrobs. Were you popular among girls in college?
No, I was shy. A boy who would never get noticed. I got noticed only when I got up on the stage. My dance crew was quite popular. During my second year, I started doing D3 and that’s when the popularity started growing.
K-pop is the new craze now. What is your view on the rising popularity of Korean dance and songs?
There are going to be trends and every decade or every five years, there is a change and shift in trends. Right now, it’s all Korean- cinema and music. People are trying to follow that. But coming to what I said previously, the Korean shows are youth-based shows.
Do you think India also has the potential to reach that level of international recognition in terms of music and dance?
We always feel that the West is better than us in whatever they do but that is not the case. With my crew, I went to international competitions and we won. It is possible because the culture that we brought was different and new for them. Dancing is huge in India and its booming. But there is no proper guidance. It’s been missing in India but there is humongous potential in dance and music.
Do aspiring dancers reach out to you for guidance?
I try to do that when I am going to events. The kind of exposure and experience we have had – internationally as well as locally, is something that we would love to share so that the younger generation doesn’t waste their time elsewhere. We have seen hip-hop grow in India and have been a part of it. We have more experience, and we have seen the struggles to make it a popular art. I make it a point that if there are people who are reaching out to me, I talk to them and guide them. Even in Campus Beats, we have dancers who have become actors now. I have grown from that culture, so I would love to give it back to the dancing community.
Do you think there is a lack of proper dance-based films in Bollywood?
Some people want to make dance movies but they are not aware of how the community works or have in-depth knowledge of dancing in India. They don’t know how dancers live or what their struggles are. It’s very surface-level research. I have rejected a lot of stories because I didn’t feel that they understood how dancers think. There is some kind of innate struggle and by struggle, I don’t mean the kind we see in reality shows. There are things that you need to understand. For instance, with age the recovery time of your injury increases. There is no in-depth research so when people are trying to do dance movies, people don’t resonate with it. Hence, it is not viable as it doesn’t work at the box office. Then people back out. People love Campus Beats for the fact that the dances are raw and we are trying to hit the right chord with youth.
How was the experience of making the transition from TV to the big screen?
I never planned this. I don’t have any backing. When TV happened, it was a big opportunity for me. I gained a bit of popularity then I went ahead and made my dance crew. I could have easily done something else. I had left a big show and pursued my passion for dancing where I got a chance to represent India internationally. With work and experience, I was being mindful of what I was choosing. Someone needs to see you and feel that this guy has potential. And I am extremely thankful to Sanjay sir (Sanjay Leela Bhansali) that he spotted me and gave me that chance.
Without any backing in the industry, was it difficult to get into acting?
Struggles will always be there, you can’t take that away. I had to figure out everything myself. If there was guidance and someone to help me out always then maybe I would have gotten into movies much earlier. But I don’t have any regrets. I debuted in a Sanjay Leela Bhansali film. However, I had to go through the struggle of what to do, which thing to work on and how to reach there.