Gangubai Kathiawadi actor Shantanu Maheshwari says he never had to break the ice with Alia Bhatt before shooting with her

Shantanu Maheshwari made his feature film debut with the Sanjay Leela Bhansali-Alia Bhatt film Gangubai Kathiawadi, which is now playing in cinemas. In a recent interview, the actor, who appeared on TV with Channel V show Dil Dostii Dance and has been a part of several reality shows, opened up about working with the director and actor on this film.

In the crime drama, he plays a supporting yet pivotal role of Gangubai's love interest Afshaan Razak, who is a tailor by profession. Shantanu revealed that he was always aware that Gangubai Kathiawadi was an Alia Bhatt film and her character's journey, but he always had belief in himself. 

The actor spoke about his first meeting with Alia, and how there was no need for them to break the ice. "Also, she knew about me playing the part and it was all very organic for us," he told The Indian Express. 

When asked if he found romancing her on-screen "intimidating", Shantanu said, "We were quite clear in terms of our characters and thankfully the chemistry came naturally. We never had to put in extra effort, do workshops or rehearsals. Also, Alia doesn’t carry the aura of a star. She is very cooperative and a team player. We both knew the script and surrendered to that. It all became easy after that."

Shantanu also opened up about his first meeting with Sanjay, where the director was trying "trying to find his Afshaan in me and was gauging me and my body language." He said that it was only after they had wrapped the shoot, he realised that he was a part of "this massive project."

Gangubai Kathiawadi also stars Seema Pahwa and Ajay Devgn. The film had its world premiere at Berlinale, followed by a theatrical release on February 25.