I make friends very carefully in showbiz, says Shantanu
Actor Shantanu Maheshwari, who made his big-screen debut alongside actor Alia Bhatt in filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Gangubai Kathiawadi earlier this year, doesn’t want to be just known for being associated with one big film. “People have appreciated my other work. It’s not just about being a part of one big project; it’s also about how people accept your role. People give me warmth, because they like my work, and not just because I was a part of a big film,” says the 31-year-old.
And while a hit certainly gets you a flock of well-wishers, Maheshwari knows how temporary everything in showbiz is. Hence, he likes to choose his inner circle carefully. “I am a very private person. I take a lot of time to build a friendship. For me, it’s not a quick process of ‘aaj yeh mera best friend hai, kal woh mera best friend hai’. I have a group of close-knit people who I hang out with. I have made new friends here (in the film industry), but it takes time. I make my friends very carefully in showbiz,” he says.
Ask if he has experienced any back-stabbing in the industry so far, the actor tells us, “These things keep happening. I won’t say that I haven’t experienced it, because I have. But, I won’t name anyone. I have heard about people who are very shrewd. They are happy, will say they are your best friends, but then will have a totally different story to share with others.”