Popular TV actor Shantanu Maheshwari, who is making his debut in Bollywood with the Sanjay Leela Bhansali directorial ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’ and sharing screen space with Alia Bhatt, says initially he feared being rejected for the film.

In conversation with IANS, Shantanu shares how endless waiting post the audition for the film and also from his earlier experience of getting rejected in other projects, he was actually prepared for another rejection.

Shantanu said: ” Getting rejected post audition has happened so many times earlier with me, I think it happens with many actors also, that I thought this time I will get another rejection. I was ok with that too because I was just trying to think practically and not emotionally. Then after long waiting, I finally got a call from our casting director with a congratulation note! I was surprised!”

He went on to add, ” Post audition I usually get a vibe of either positive or negative feedback but here I was not getting anything…I was blank. So I was preparing my mind for a rejection so that if anything good happens, it would be like a bonus!”

In the film, Shantanu is playing a character named Afsaan who shares a very special relationship with Gangubai. In both the songs ‘Jab Saiyaan’ and ‘Meri Jaan’ the audience has noticed brewing chemistry that he shared with Alia on-screen.

While every actor openly admits that Bhansali is a taskmaster, asked about his experience of working with the legendry filmmaker, Shantanu said, ” Yes initially I was also feeling a little intimidated, but he built that confidence in me.”

Sharing one such incident he said, ” We were doing our acting workshop and the next day was my first shooting day. So someone from our team was just telling me not to feel nervous on the first day…it was just one of those usual conversations. Sanjay sir overheard us. He walked in and said, ‘Why? why would he feel nervous? He knows his character, I know he will deliver the best. I know he will not feel nervous at all. And then he walked away. Instantly I just felt like yes, I am going to rock it, you know! He just put that faith, that trust in me. He is fav!”