Along with lighting up our screens every time he made an appearance, in 2014 Shantanu also gave us many opportunities to appreciate him and be proud of him for several accolades and moments in the spotlight.
Box Cricket League
The concept of Box Cricket League as a cricket tournament for television industry stars took off with a bang with the inaugural season being a huge success, where Team Ghaent Punjabis won the trophy. Shantanu, who has always been vocal about his love for the game, and Vrushika were both members of the team. Shantanu played a vital role and contributed majorly towards the team's success as the team's wicketkeeper batsman a la MSD in the #7 jersey, hitting a century too! In the recently concluded second season, Shantanu was part of the franchise which had been renamed Chandigarh Cubs. Though form eluded him this time, opponent teams always regarded him with respect.
Nomination For Indian Telly Awards along with Macedon
Shantanu earned a nomination at the Indian Telly Awards in September 2014 for Best Choreography along with Macedon DMello for Alvida - one of their personal favourite pieces as they themselves put it and one of their most heart-touching pieces of choreography too. Though they did not finally win the award, like Shantanu said, the nomination itself was worth a lot.
Indian Television Academy Viewers Choice Jodi Award Winner And Hosting
The crowning glory for all us fans was the Indian Television Academy Viewer's Choice Award for Favourite On-screen Jodi that Shantanu Maheshwari and Vrushika Mehta won in 2014. Shantanu along with Vrushika also made us proud by adeptly hosting the first segment at the awards night. The two of them became the first actors from Channel V's fiction line up to win an award...and it was justice long overdue and recognition well deserved, for the talent, hard work and resilience that both of them had put in against massive odds. We hope and earnestly pray that this be just a beginning of many more accolades to come for Shantanu as well as Vrushika. In October 2014, Shantanu and Vrushika were featured in GR8 Magazine, India's leading television magazine, which was yet another indicator of the growing popularity that the two of them were garnering in the industry. Come November, and the magazine cover with Shantanu holding his ITA trophy along with Vrushika is one that every VruShan fan will preserve in their memory for eternity.
Sexylist and HottestIndainTVJodi
UK-based columnist Mr. Asjad Nazir, who writes for the Eastern Eye newspaper, is well-known and respected by celebrities for carrying out popular Twitter-based polls on the entertainment industry - television and Bollywood alike. Based on the poll he conducted last year on the Hottest Indian TV Jodi, Shantanu and Vrushika (SwaRon) stood a glorious 3rd in an elite list, which surprised and impressed many since they came from a non-GEC show. In the annual Sexy List male category, Shantanu made his entry into the top 50 in his first attempt itself, ranking commendable #23 amodst well established Asian public figures.
Hosting Saas Bahu Betiyan
This New Year gave us a beautiful kickstart in the form of Shantanu and Vrushika hosting an entire episode of the popular TV show Saas Bahu aur Betiyan on Aaj Tak. They went on to host one more episode in February, on the day after Valentine's Day, and we loved him as well as her to bits both times. Sexylist & Hottest Indian TV Jodi
VFest'15 Pune
VFest'15 Zonals Pune Channel V's popular and prestigious annual IndiaFest 2015 saw Shantanu and Vrushika take over as very welcome hosts at the Pune zonals. The reaction from the packed crowd as they watched their favourite lover boy in action on stage as host for a change, stands testimony to the height of craziness and love that fangirls hold for Shantanu. From breaking into an impromptu jig on popular mass numbers to carrying off the typical SwaRon nok-jhok with Vrushika on stage and also welcoming guests and participants along the way, Shantanu was calm personified without losing any of his trademark charm that had girls swooning the way it always does.
Teen Sensation India Merchandise
Where December brought us news of D3 shutting down, it also announced that Shantanu Maheshwari had been selected as the first Teen Sensation of India, which meant that he became the first actor from the entertainment industry in India to have his own range of merchandise. As he put it - "This was a medium of getting closer to well-wishers and connecting with them," which is now possible through things that can be a part of our daily lives with Shantanu etched onto them, ranging from notepads, laptop and mobile covers to pillows, mugs, keychains, bookmarks, coasters and more!
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