Shantanu Maheshwari (born 7 March 1991) is an Indian actor, dancer, choreographer and host. He debuted with the show ''
Dil Dosti Dance'' on
Channel V in his breakthrough performance as the protagonist Swayam Shekhawat. In 2017, he participated in ''
Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi 8'' and emerged as the winner. He was also seen as a contestant on ''
Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 9'' and ''
Nach Baliye 9'' and became a finalist in both. He is a part of the
Desi Hoppers dance crew who emerged as the winners in the ''
World of Dance'' 2015 Championship in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
. Maheshwari made his Bollywood debut in 2022, with
Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Sanjay Leela Bhansali (; born 24 February 1963) is an Indian filmmaker, director, screenwriter, and music composer who is known for his work in Hindi cinema. He is the recipient of several awards, including four National Film Awards, ten Filmfar ...
's ''
Gangubai Kathiawadi
''Gangubai Kathiawadi'' is a 2022 Indian Hindi-language biographical crime drama film directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali and produced by Bhansali and Jayantilal Gada. The film stars Alia Bhatt as the titular character with Ajay Devgn, Shantanu ...
'' opposite
Alia Bhatt
Alia Bhatt (; born 15 March 1993) is a British actress of Indian descent who predominantly works in Hindi films. She has received List of awards and nominations received by Alia Bhatt, several accolades including four Filmfare Awards. One of I ...
.
Early life
Maheshwari was born on 7 March 1991 in
Kolkata
Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comme ...
, India. He attended The Park English School, Kolkata and
St. Joseph's College, Kolkata He moved to Mumbai for his higher studies where he attended
H.R. College of Commerce and Economics and was a part of the Street Soul Dance Crew
SDCfrom his college. Maheshwari is versatile as a dancer but specializes mainly in Popping and (Liquid) Waving.
Career
Maheshwari began his acting career with ''
Dil Dosti Dance'' for
Channel V. He rose to fame by essaying the role of Swayam Shekhawat during the four-years run of the show. His chemistry with co-star
Vrushika Mehta
Vrushika Mehta is an Indian actress and professional dancer who mainly works in Hindi television. She made her acting debut with ''Aasman Se Aage'' portraying Vrushika in 2012. Mehta is best known for her portrayal of Sharon Rai Prakash in '' ...
earned him widespread adulation as they went on to win the third spot in the ''Hottest Indian TV Jodi'' list by the UK-based newspaper ''
Eastern Eye''.
The duo also earned the
ITA Award for ''Onscreen Couple of the Year'' in 2014.
In 2015, he appeared in
Zing's episodic show ''
Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya
''Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya'' () is a 2001 Indian Hindi-language romantic thriller film produced by Ram Gopal Varma, and directed by Rajat Mukherjee. It stars Fardeen Khan, Urmila Matondkar and Sonali Kulkarni. The soundtrack was composed by Sand ...
'' where he played the role of a cancer patient.
He returned to the small screen with his ''
Dil Dosti Dance'' co-star
Vrushika Mehta
Vrushika Mehta is an Indian actress and professional dancer who mainly works in Hindi television. She made her acting debut with ''Aasman Se Aage'' portraying Vrushika in 2012. Mehta is best known for her portrayal of Sharon Rai Prakash in '' ...
in ''
Yeh Hai Aashiqui
''Yeh Hai Aashiqui'' () is an Indian Hindi-language television romance anthology series that premiered on 25 August 2013 on Bindass. It presents dramatisations of the real life love stories created by Vikas Gupta. The show went off air on 7 A ...
'' on
Bindass
Bindass is an Indian pay television Hindi-language Music channel owned by Disney Star, targeted at young people. It was launched on 24 September 2007.
History
UTV Software Communications launched Bindass as a youth-oriented entertainment chann ...
, playing an episodic character of a verbally-challenged law student. He also dubbed for some episodes of ''
Yeh Hai Aashiqui
''Yeh Hai Aashiqui'' () is an Indian Hindi-language television romance anthology series that premiered on 25 August 2013 on Bindass. It presents dramatisations of the real life love stories created by Vikas Gupta. The show went off air on 7 A ...
''. In 2015, Maheshwari appeared in the
Bindass
Bindass is an Indian pay television Hindi-language Music channel owned by Disney Star, targeted at young people. It was launched on 24 September 2007.
History
UTV Software Communications launched Bindass as a youth-oriented entertainment chann ...
show ''Bindass Naach''. The finite series, which had appearances by the likes of Jaja Vaňková and
Terence Lewis, showcased the formation of his crew
Desi Hoppers and their subsequent victory at ''
World of Dance'' 2015.
Desi Hoppers became the first dance crew in the history to represent India at
World of Dance and win it too. The crew was invited to give a special performance on ''
America's Got Talent 11'' and received praise from the judges
Simon Cowell
Simon Phillip Cowell (; born 7 October 1959) is an English television personality, entrepreneur and record executive. He is the creator of '' The X Factor'' and ''Got Talent'' franchises which have been sold around the world. He has judged on ...
,
Heidi Klum and
Nick Cannon
Nicholas Scott Cannon (born October 8, 1980) is an American television host, actor, rapper, and comedian. In television, Cannon began as a teenager on ''All That'' before going on to host '' The Nick Cannon Show'', ''Wild 'n Out'', ''America's ...
. It was also invited to give a special performance on China's famous talk show ''
Day Day Up
''Day Day Up'' ( zh, 天天向上; pinyin: Tiāntiān xiàngshàng) is a popular Chinese talk show broadcast on Hunan Television. The show is co-hosted by Wang Han (汪涵), Da Zhangwei (大张伟), Qian Feng (钱枫), and Wang Yibo_(王一 ...
''.
Maheshwari returned to fiction shows with
MTV India's ''
Girls On Top'' playing an aspiring musician Sahir Bhasin.
In 2016, Maheshwari participated in the celebrity dance reality show ''
Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 9'' on
Colors TV. He was one of the most consistent performers in the show and became the most popular and strongest contender for the title. He received praises from seasoned actor and ex-Jhalak contestant
Ronit Roy
Ronit Bose Roy (born 11 October 1965) is an Indian actor, known for his works primarily in Hindi television and films alongside Tamil and Telugu cinema. Roy has earned numerous accolades in his career including a Filmfare Award, two Screen Awa ...
who called him the winner of the show.
Bollywood star
Hrithik Roshan
Hrithik Roshan (; born 10 January 1974) is an Indian actor who works in Hindi films. He has portrayed a variety of characters and is known for his dancing skills. One of the highest-paid actors in India, he has won many awards, including six ...
called Maheshwari a "flying star". However, he lost the trophy to
Teriya Magar and
Salman Yusuff Khan
Salman Yusuff Khan (born 12 June 1985) is an Indian dancer, actor, choreographer and television judge. He participated in and emerged as winner of ''Dance India Dance, Dance India Dance 1''. He also participated in ''Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khi ...
and became the 2nd runner-up.
In 2017, he starred in a short film ''Something Like Love'' which marked his foray into the digital cinema. Maheshwari participated in ''
Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi 8'' which was shot in
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
and hosted by Bollywood director
Rohit Shetty
Rohit Shetty (born 14 March 1974) is an Indian film director, stuntman, producer and television host who works in Hindi cinema. He is one of the most recognised film director of Hindi Cinema. His movies are often mix genres of action, comedy ...
. He was the most consistent performer and got in the danger zone for the fewest times.
Rohit Shetty
Rohit Shetty (born 14 March 1974) is an Indian film director, stuntman, producer and television host who works in Hindi cinema. He is one of the most recognised film director of Hindi Cinema. His movies are often mix genres of action, comedy ...
called him the "silent killer" of the show. He won the show by beating
Hina Khan and
Ravi Dubey
Ravi Dubey (born 23 December 1983) is an Indian actor, model, television presenter and producer.
He began his acting career in 2006 with a parallel lead role in the show ''Stree Teri Kahaani'' and followed it with roles in less successful sho ...
in the finale.
Along with his dance crew
Desi Hoppers, Maheshwari was invited to perform an exhibition act at the ''
World of Dance'' 2017 finals in Los Angeles.
The crew also went on to perform at ''Asian Battleground'', a cross-national dance reality show shot in
Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
. Among the twelve dance crews that participated in the competition,
Desi Hoppers came 3rd in the showcase rankings and were a part of the top 4 finalists that advanced for the face-off round.
In 2018, Maheshwari hosted
MTV India's episodic series ''Love on the Run''. Maheshwari then along with his crew
Desi Hoppers participated in the world's biggest dance reality show
World of Dance (TV series)
''World of Dance'' was an American reality competition television series executive produced by Jennifer Lopez. The first two seasons were hosted by Jenna Dewan. The third season saw a change in hosts, as Scott Evans hosted season three and four ...
and in doing so they became the first-ever Indian dance crew to represent India on such a big platform. They received high praise from judges
Jennifer Lopez,
Ne-Yo
Shaffer Chimere Smith (born October 18, 1979), known professionally as Ne-Yo, is an American singer, songwriter, actor, dancer, and record producer. He gained fame for his songwriting abilities when he penned Mario's 2004 hit " Let Me Love You ...
and
Derek Hough
Derek Bruce Hough (; born May 17, 1985) is an American professional Latin and ballroom dancer, choreographer, actor and singer. From 2007 to 2016, Hough was a professional dancer on the ABC dance competition series ''Dancing with the Stars'', w ...
who loved their unique style and fusion of hip-hop with Indian culture. They also scored an impressive 96 to qualify for the next round which was also the highest score in round one. Maheshwari launched the spring collection of
Lee Cooper with #MasterofDenim look. He also gained popularity as the host of
Zee TV's reality show
India's Best Dramebaaz, which later won the Favorite Non-Fiction Show award at
Zee Rishtey Awards
Zee TV (stylised as ZEE TV) is a Hindi general entertainment pay television
Pay television, also known as subscription television, premium television or, when referring to an individual service, a premium channel, refers to subscription-ba ...
.
Along with his crew, Desi Hoppers, Maheshwari gave special performances at the
University of Oxford
, mottoeng = The Lord is my light
, established =
, endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019)
, budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20)
, chancellor ...
, UK, as part of a social entrepreneur summit with the likes of Academy Award winner
Chiwetel Ejiofor
Chiwetel Umeadi Ejiofor ( ; born 10 July 1977) is a British actor. He is the recipient of various accolades, including a BAFTA Award, a Laurence Olivier Award, an NAACP Image Award, and nominations for an Academy Award, two Primetime Emmy Awa ...
, Grammy award winner
Sarah McLachlan
Sarah Ann McLachlan OC OBC (born January 28, 1968) is a Canadian singer-songwriter. As of 2015, she had sold over 40 million albums worldwide. McLachlan's best-selling album to date is '' Surfacing'', for which she won two Grammy Awards (ou ...
and chief international anchor for CNN,
Christiane Amanpour present. Maheshwari has also given numerous stage performances on ''
Indian Television Academy Awards'', ''
Radio Mirchi
Radio Mirchi (also known as 98.3 Mirchi) is a nationwide network of private FM radio stations in India. It is owned by the EntertainmentNetwork India Ltd (ENIL), which is one of the subsidiaries of The Times Group. ''Mirchi'' is Hindi for re ...
Top 20'' & ''Golden Petal Awards'' on
Colors TV,''
&TV It's Diwali'', ''
Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards India'',
DID Li'l Masters (Season 4 Finale) &
Gold Awards on
Zee TV, ''
Adbhut Ganesh Utsav'' and ''
Dandiya Nights'' over the years.
Owing to his influence on aspiring youth,
IIMUN
I.I.M.U.N. (India's International Movement to Unite Nations, also known as: Indian International Model United Nations or IIMUN) is a youth organisation comprising 26,000 young organisers who put together student conferences in 220 cities and 35 co ...
invited Shantanu to be one of the motivational speakers of IIMUN championship conference MUNCLAVE 2019. Shantanu along with
Desi Hoppers has choreographed and directed dance performances for the
Zee TV show ''
Yeh Teri Galiyan
''Yeh Teri Galiyan ''(''These Are Your Streets'') is an Indian drama television series that premiered on 25 July 2018 on Zee TV. Produced by Cinevistaas Limited, it starred Avinash Mishra and Vrushika Mehta. It replaced Woh Apna Sa in its time ...
''. Shantanu also appeared in a promotional video by
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fi ...
for
The Umbrella Academy (TV series) with
Tiku Talsania
Tiku Talsania (born 7 June 1954) is an Indian actor, who works in the Bollywood industry. Apart from acting in films and television serials, he also performs as a freelance theatre artist, working for Gujarati theatre.
Career Television
Tiku h ...
,
Supriya Pilgaonkar and
Kubbra Sait. His third music video composed by Qaran and sung by
Ash King on
Sony Music India named "Haaye Oye" featuring
Elli Avram
Elisabet Avramidou Granlund, ( el, Ελισάβετ Αβραμίδου Γκράνλουντ; born 29 July 1990) known professionally as Elli AvrRam, is a Swedish-Greek actress and is now based in Mumbai, India. She is known for her Bollywood mo ...
opposite him, crossed 45 million views on YouTube within two weeks and trended on various music platforms. He has performed the character of ''Abir Basu'' in
Ekta Kapoor's web series
Medically Yours. The web series fetched a 8.8 IMDb rating and Shantanu's performance was much appreciated. He received Likee's Digital Influencer award as the Youth Icon of the year for the same. He along with his partner became the finalist of
Nach Baliye
''Nach Baliye'' () is an Indian Hindi-language celebrity dance reality television series that airs on Star Plus.
Production Concept
The show is a competition wherein 10 television celebrity couples compete against each other. Contestants danc ...
season-9.
Maheshwari starred opposite
Alia Bhatt
Alia Bhatt (; born 15 March 1993) is a British actress of Indian descent who predominantly works in Hindi films. She has received List of awards and nominations received by Alia Bhatt, several accolades including four Filmfare Awards. One of I ...
in
Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Sanjay Leela Bhansali (; born 24 February 1963) is an Indian filmmaker, director, screenwriter, and music composer who is known for his work in Hindi cinema. He is the recipient of several awards, including four National Film Awards, ten Filmfar ...
's ''
Gangubai Kathiawadi
''Gangubai Kathiawadi'' is a 2022 Indian Hindi-language biographical crime drama film directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali and produced by Bhansali and Jayantilal Gada. The film stars Alia Bhatt as the titular character with Ajay Devgn, Shantanu ...
in 2022.'' The film marks his debut in Bollywood.
Filmography
Films
Television
Music videos
Web series
Awards and nominations
See also
*
List of dancers
An annotated list of popular/famous dancers.
A
* Ayo & Teo, duo of dancers and musicians from Ann Arbor, Michigan.
*Fred Astaire ( – ), American film and Broadway stage dancer, choreographer, singer, musician and actor. He was an innovato ...
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Maheshwari, Shantanu
Indian male dancers
Living people
Artists from Kolkata
Reality dancing competition winners
Indian contemporary dancers
Male actors in Hindi cinema
Male actors from Kolkata
Indian male television actors
Indian choreographers
Participants in Indian reality television series
1991 births
Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi participants