Shantanu Maheshwari: Before Gangubai Kathiawadi I would get rejected, or replaced at the last minute

Life after the release of Gangubai Kathiawadi has been sweet for Shantanu Maheshwari. More offers have started pouring in but the actor is in no hurry.

“Initially, the industry people knew me little, as the guy who would be mostly cast. They had not seen my work or me in any film, they didn’t know whether will be able to hold the screen, this and that. Obviously, once they saw it, they started reaching out, wanting me to be a part of different projects,” says the 31-year-old, who played the role of Alia Bhatt’s lover in the film directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali.

Before Gangubai… happened for him, the actor reveals he had been trying to get into films, but things just wouldn’t materialise despite his attempts. Maheshwari shares, “Obviously, every actor wants to after a point get into films and be a part of good storytelling. Even I was struggling and was given offers. But somehow they would not convert… at the last minute I would get rejected, or at the last minute get replaced after getting selected. Films were a hard thing to get into.”

But he is not complaining any longer. “I am glad those projects didn’t happen because then Gangubai… wouldn’t have happened, I wouldn’t have gotten a chance to work with Sanjay sir. I am happy those films didn’t happen,” says the actor.

Maheshwari now only wants to concentrate on absorbing his new found fame. “Everything is new to me, I am just enjoying it. I didn’t expect it to be this big in terms of exposure and in terms of what I am getting” he says.