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EXCLUSIVE: Shantanu Maheshwari OPENS UP on reuniting with Dil Dosti Dance team in lockdown, their special bond
In an exclusive chat with Pinkvilla, Shantanu Maheshwari who opened up the unique D3 skits, his 'special bond with the Dil Dosti Dance team, and more.
If there's one show that captured the attention of millions of youth it has to be, Dil Dosti Dance. Popularly known as D3, the show brought a new flavor to Indian Television far away from saas-bahu dramas. Just as the name suggests, the show revolved around love, friendship, and dance. And it was the art form that connected all the characters together. D3 became a massive hit among the viewers and this concept where dance-meets-drama, made its own special place.
With so many shows returning to the small screen, fans of D3, also hoped for the show to make a comeback. And fans prayers got answered, as their favorite Dil Dosti Dance gang got together with a surprise for them amid the lockdown. The D3 team joined hands to perform special skits on social media, and spread their magic once again. We at Pinkvilla got into an exclusive and candid chat with Shantanu Maheshwari aka Swayam, who opened up about the idea behind the skits, his 'special bond with the D3 team, his connection with his character and more.
Ask him about the ideation behind the D3 skits on social media, Shantanu shared, 'We had always wanted to do something associated with D3 all together, but due to our personal and professional schedules none of us were getting the time to do so. Until the lockdown came into place, and that was when Palki Malhotra came up with the idea of these skits by us D3 actors. Owing to the bond we all share and our common love for D3, we all mutually and happily agreed to work on these skits.' 
The dancer-actor further revealed his feelings of getting into the character again. 'It didn't feel like very long though when we got back into our characters for these skits, as even when people now meet us they sometimes tend to address us by our character names. But it was definitely fun to get back into D3 mode all over again,' exclaimed Shantanu.
Since now the gang is working from the confines of their home, Shantanu missed the sets of the show, and the fun everybody had shooting. He revealed, 'The best part about being on the D3 set back then was working with an entire cast and crew who loved dancing. Besides the cast who were all very good dancers, of course, the crew members as well were extremely passionate about dance. I still remember the first D3 party we had, where everyone just came onto the dance floor and danced their hearts out, which was lovely to see! Also back then there was not much content on TV which was focussed on dance, so D3 for them was that dance-related show which they could watch.'
The handsome hunk also shared how the team as a whole has progressed in these years, in terms of acting and learning. Sharing a funny anecdote, Shantanu said, 'When we now see our initial scenes from D3 in the first phase of the show, we really laugh at how we performed back then. We would initially think that dialogues were just meant to be said in a basic way when they actually had to be expressed and emoted in a certain way, so yes in the beginning it was definitely tough! We were working with directors who in the past had worked with some brilliant actors, but had to then see us enacting such beautiful scenes in the most ridiculous manner! (Laughs).'
However, the actor said that the makers and directors had complete faith in the team. ' They had faith in us, and we also took advice from them in a positive manner because that was the only way to grow. And for me, it was initially difficult for sure, but Sneha was really good with her acting ways, so my reactions due to them came out very naturally.'
Many girls have fallen in love with Sawyam for his cute looks, humble nature, and his amazing dancing skills. Shantanu also revealed that this character will always be special for him, despite the many roles he has played in his career. 'All the roles I have played to date are very close to my heart because each of them has played an important role in shaping me as an actor. But Swayam was the very first character I played on screen, and one I portrayed for nearly 4 years, which ended up teaching me a lot! As each year of playing Swayam helped me evolve and grow in many ways,' Shantanu signed off.
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