#EXCLUSIVE: "I took up X.X.X. as I wanted to be a part of it and break out of my comfort zone

The trailer for Alt Balaji's X.X.X. was launched a few weeks back and has been receiving quite the compliments for its bold content.

This erotic project, which was set to be a film initially and was to mark TV celebs Shantanu Maheshwari, Rithvik Dhanjani and Ankit Gera's debut into Bollywood, has now been converted into a web series and will air on Alt Balaji.

We caught up with Shantanu Maheshwari to know more about X.X.X.

XXX's trailer has been getting a lot of attention. What's your reaction?

I am of course quite happy with the attention and reception that the trailer has received. The web series has an entire team behind it, which has worked really really hard and so everyone is definitely looking forward to a positive response on it.

All actors stepped out of their comfort zones to play bold characters. Were there moments of hesitation? Describe them.

XXX was offered to me back in 2015, and I did take it up because it was something I wanted to be a part of and to break through my comfort zone which was important for me. Initially, I was a bit hesitant with a few of the scenes, but through the shoot, my co-actor and I eventually build up a decent rapport, which helped us enact our scenes in a better way.

Did you have any apprehensions while signing the project?   

There wasn't any apprehension as such when taking up the project, as I was keen on getting out of my comfort zone as well as working with director Ken Ghosh. He was the one who totally convinced me about my role while narrating it to me back then, which in turn convinced me to go ahead and do something different.

How was your experience of working with Ken Ghosh on the project?

I have followed Ken's sir work in the past and even watched him on television judging a show years ago. So initially I had the impression that he would be a really tough person to work with. But when we began our shoot, he turned out to be the complete opposite of what I had thought of! And through the course of our shoot, I realized that he is an amazing guy to work with! He was so sure of what he wanted to portray on screen and really helped me in understanding my character better. There was a lot to learn from him and I would surely like to work with him in the future again.

Tell us about your character's details. How challenging or easy was this role?  

I play the character of Bittu, a boy in his teens, as a turning point in his life where he wants to experience certain fantasies and the fun and wild side of life. Initially it did take me sometime to understand certain nuances of my character's thought process. But with Ken sir's clarity on my role, it became much easier to work on Bittu.

What are your opinions on NSFW content airing on an Indian streaming platform?  

Its honestly a choice that you have to pick and choose the content that you want to watch in the digital space. There is a lot of variety when it comes to different content online. And all content be it bold or something regular, always has a disclaimer in the beginning with parental guidelines and restrictions depending on the genre mentioned as part of the program. So ultimately, there are rules and guidelines put out there so no-one is being misguided in anyway and you know, of the content you are looking to watch. Hence it is the choice you make for picking out the content you want to watch.

Tell us why this show is hotter and bolder than any other Indian erotica series?

Youth erotica XXX is definitely different from other content in this space because this is something new! Something different in its own way being put up on the digital platform for the youth! None of the other platforms have experimented with such a concept before and it definitely is the first one here!

A huge part of your fan base comprises of teenage school and college going people. Do you think that will change because of X.X.X.?

With all due respect, I don't choose my projects according to how the audiences will react. I always take up work on the basis of how challenging or different and unique the role is, and what other aspects I can bring to the table. 

As an actor, be it a digital platform or the small or big screen, I am happy to showcase my work on any of the mediums. So regarding XXX becoming a web series and not a film, it was of course the production's call and I truly believe that whatever happens, happens for a reason and so I am happy to be making a digital debut now!