Shantanu Maheshwari: I like my love stories a little extra dramatic

Shantanu Maheshwari, who rose to fame with dance-based shows like Dil Dosti Dance and Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa, has steadily carved a space for himself as an actor. His transition to films was marked by a strong debut in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Gangubai Kathiawadi. When asked whether his heart leans more toward dancing or acting, Shantanu shares, “For me, dance was always the starting point. It gave me my rhythm, discipline, and also the confidence to perform in front of people. Transitioning into acting was more like learning a whole new choreography, where the steps are emotions and the moves are replaced by dialogues. Honestly, I’m equally passionate about both dance and acting, it’s like having two great loves and can’t really choose between them.”Recently, he took on the lead role in the romantic drama Love in Vietnam. When asked if he is naturally drawn to romantic films, Shantanu says, “I feel love stories never really go out of flavour. It’s like chai, no matter what season is, people always crave it. The only thing is, for a while, the audience wasn’t getting enough fresh, unique love stories. But lately that’s been changing, and I’m super excited about it. Love in Vietnam is India’s first cross-culture romance with Vietnam, and that itself is such a big move for our cinema. Talking about his favourite love stories: Titanic and Dil Se are right at the top. One sank my heart, and the other set it on fire. I guess I like my love stories a little extra dramatic.