Shantanu Maheshwari Says Things Are ‘Not Easy’ For Him Even After Working With SLB & Neeraj Pandey | Exclusive

Shantanu Maheshwari proved his mettle with his small but impactful role in Gangubai Kathiawadi, directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Following the movie’s success, he worked in Neeraj Pandey’s Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha, where he played young Ajay Devgn. But even after working with such great directors, are things easier for him? The actor, in an exclusive chat with News18 Showsha, shed light on it.

When asked if there is some sort of ease in life for him, the actor straightaway said “no.” Hiding the pain behind his smile, Shantanu Maheshwari said, “Yeh toh apne alag nass ko chu diya. What should I say?” and continued, “It’s not easy yaar, it’s not easy at all, especially when you work with a few of the best in the industry, it really gets difficult.”

“See, agar aapne achha khana kha liya hai toh aapko bure khane ki parakh ho jaati hai. In the process, you realise that it’s not good, and at times that has also happened. But I tried to take it positively, at least I know how to do good work,” the actor continued.

The actor further stated that things are still quite “difficult” for him, but added that “it’s okay.” He said, “I am ready to struggle and I am ready to do hard work. I will keep polishing my skills, and I think God will be kind to me. He has been, and I hope aage bhi rahenge.”

The actor is currently seen in the sixth season of the dance-based youth-driven show Campus Beats. The show streamed on April 29, 2026, on Amazon MX Player and has garnered love from the audience. Talking about how he managed to play the role of Ishaan and bring newness even in the sixth season, the actor shared, “A lot was written about what I should and shouldn’t do. For me, it was sticking to my own character and my journey, and not getting deviated by ‘are yaar usko ye scene acha mil raha hai.’ No, I need to be focused on people who are following Ishaan’s journey.”

“So whatever material was given to me, I made sure to delve deeper into it. Ki usme mein kya better kar sakta hoon,” he added.

Campus Beats is an Indian dance-drama web series. The season brings back Shantanu Maheshwari as Ishaan and Shruti Sinha as Netra, while introducing new twists, emotional drama, and intense dance rivalries.