Exclusive! Shantanu Maheshwari: Nothing beats Kolkata's food during Durga Puja

Shantanu Maheshwari shot to fame with Dil Dosti Dance followed by Fear Factor Khatron Ke Khiladi 8 and Americarsquos Got Talent 11 Durga Puja holds a special place in the heart of this Kolkata boy Shantanu who is reportedly also part of Sanjay Leela Bhansalirsquos Gangubai Kathiawadi with Alia Bhatt shares memories of the festival with middaycomHow are you celebrating Durga Puja this yearI am going to be working and travelling during Durga Puja this year so there are no major plans to celebrate the festival I am not going back home this year like I have done in the past for pandal hopping and just being in Kolkata during Durga puja time but yes I will be following all the celebrations by watching Bengali news channels online which cover the festivitiesChildhood memories of Durga Puja that you recallI have so many childhood memories of Durga Puja back home in Kolkata We would go pandal hopping with family friends and relatives during Durga Puja especially on Saptami Ashtmi and Navmi which are the main three days of the festival During these three days we would go pandal hopping all night just book a taxi and explore every possible pandal in the city and be a part of all the madness that comes along with the festival for that week In fact everyone in Kolkata steps out for those three nights where you get to actually witness amazing creativity and talent that Kolkata has to offer There would be a lot of mini game stalls set up at each street where I would look forward to playing games like seven up seven down and shooting which were my favourite activities to enjoy during the festivalYour favourite foods at this time of the yearNothing beats Kolkatas street food during this time of the year Puchka egg rolls veg rolls and sometimes chowmein as wellBest part of the celebrationsMy favourite part of the celebrations are both pandal hopping and playing dandiya The craziness of garba and dandiya and on the other hand experiencing the beauty of those amazing Durga Ma pandals which define Kolkatas creativity Exploring new areas in the city each year which always have something different to offer in relation with the festival is also something I enjoy Also for me the celebration back home used to start off much earlier because I used to stay close to where the murtis would be made so I would see the idols going to their respective pandals and the whole process of those 9 days is an overall favourite time for meWhat can fans expect from Gangubai KathiawadiCannot put out any commentsWhere do we see you nextThere are some projects coming up in the pipeline where I will be a lot more active in the OTT space and other mediums as well So when the time is right I will reveal what is going to be coming up for meHow did you deal with CovidI was mentally prepared that I can fight Covid and with proper medication and a calm and composed mindset I was able to fight my struggle with Covid It was a tough phase as it is not just a viral but it lingers and even post recovery there are changes in your body which you slowly discover But it is what it is so everybody eventually has to deal with it mentally more than anything elseMessage for fans who still remember Dil Dosti DanceA big thank you to all of them for so much love till date I feel so glad to have gotten a chance to be part of D3 and through that I got a chance to connect with so many people so many youngsters who I often get a chance to even meet nowadays They recall stories of how they would watch D3 when they were studying working etc So yes it is really nice to hear those stories and at the same time when you know that you and your character are being loved and appreciated by so many people it truly is an amazing feeling This love support and appreciation that we all as a cast still get really does matterAlso Read Mouni Roy on Durga Puja We should follow all protocols we donrsquot want third wave