An Indian troupe has made it to America’s Got Talent. lead performer SHANTANU MAHESHWARI speaks to GANITA about winning Simon Cowell over
Dancer and TV actor Shantanu Maheshwari has had his share of international fame, basking as he is after performing with his group, Desi Hoppers, in the 11th season of America Got’s Talent. “It was amazing to see that we got a standing ovation from the audience. Everyone in the auditorium stood up once in between the performance and then after the performance. Also, when we went out to give a few publicity bytes, a lot of people actually came over to cheer and congratulate us, which felt so cool. It was a one-of-kind experience,” he trills.
Maheshwari and his troupe were invited to the show as America’s Got Talent is now not only limited to citizens of the US but entertainers from every field and country. In 2015, the young dancers triumphed over 40 countries and became the first ever Indian crew to win the World of Dance in los Angeles. “The AGT team approached us soon after that,” the MTV Girls on Top actor has us know. They performed on two songs, Tukur Tukur from Dilwale and Turn Down for What by lil Jon and DJ Snake.
The troupe won the hearts of all the four judges through their act. It is a known fact that gratifying Simon Cowell is a strenuous job as he is a tough nut. “Pleasing Cowell was the toughest on the show but fortunately he admired our performance. He mentioned that he liked how we had stuck to our roots and incorporated the Indian element in our performance, and that overall our coordination was really good and our performance quite expressive. He also mentioned that he loved our choreography which was so original, something never really seen before,” says Maheshwari.
“The other three judges, Howie Mandel, Heidi Klum and Mel B were also left spellbound by the performance. This collective thumbs-up gave us the best feeling ever,” chirps the Dil Dosti Dance star. The team has made it to the second round of the competition but Maheshwari is not sure about going back. It’s an expensive affair, and it may not be possible for him to keep shuttling betweeen commitments at home. last heard, Maheshwari is gearing up for the latest season of Jhalak Dikhla Jaa.