Shantanu Maheshwari made his feature film debut in ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’ (2022), which was helmed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Renowned for his role Afsaan, he brought an unrivalled raw, unadulterated charm to the screen with his magical performance. Yesterday, he was overjoyed to have received the Best Debutant Award at the Showsha Reel Awards 2023, which held in Mumbai.
As the film celebrated its one-year anniversary yesterday, it was a double celebration for the rising actor. His character Afsaan has stayed with the audience to this day and forever. The audience fell in love with the characters and the film because of the charm and innocence in his eyes, combined with the incredible chemistry portrayed on screen with Gangu.
Overwhelmed by this outpouring love, Shantanu shared at the award show, “Today is a very special day because today was the day ‘Gangubai’ released and receiving this award today means a lot. There are a lot of people who I need to thank but I would like to take a moment to acknowledge everyone who were working on Gangubai. Topping the list would be Sanjay Leela Bhansali Sir. If he wouldn’t have given me this opportunity or believed in me, I wouldn’t be standing here. Special thanks to Sudeep sir, Alia, Shruti Mahajan and Prerna ma’am. I’m just representing entire team effort by excepting this award.”
Shantanu Maheshwari is unquestionably one of the best debutant this year and his portrayal of Afsaan, with its charm and innocence, has left an indelible mark on our minds. We hope this is just the beginning for this new age actor.
