EXCLUSIVE- Khatron Ke Khiladi 8 winner Shantanu Maheshwari: I still cannot absorb that I have actually won

Shantanu Maheshwari beat Hina Khan and Ravi Dubey to clinch the Khatron Ke Khiladi 8 trophy. The reality show hosted by Rohit Shetty saw Maheshwari doing some dangerous stunts pushing himself every time. The dancer-choreographer was one of the most consistent performers in the show and it was a well-deserved victory clearly. 

Post winning the trophy, in a tete-a-tete with Pinkvilla, an elated Shantanu said that he feels amazing holding the trophy. Recounting his experience, Shantanu said, “I did not really think that I will come and win the cup. I just wanted to work on my phobias and myself and that is why I wanted to do this show. Not everyone gets the opportunity to do KKK and why would you want to lose that? Hence, I took it and I am glad I did. After performing every stunt, I used to feel the satisfaction of doing something new.”

“I still cannot absorb that I have actually won the trophy,” he said.

What did he discover about himself during this entire ‘Pain in Spain’ journey? To this, Shantanu said, “I discovered that if you work hard, nothing is impossible. You can push yourself to limit and boundaries which you thought you couldn’t. It helps you come out of your comfort zone.”

Moving forward, we asked him what was the biggest challenge he faced during the show. Replying to this, he quipped, “Doing all the stunts was pretty challenging (laughs).”

He further added, “I was very happy after my first underwater stunt. I didn’t expect to have completed that stunt before starting it. More than beating anyone, I just wanted to complete the stunt and I was glad I did.”

Given that Rohit Shetty is known for his explicit action sequences, we asked Shantanu if the action King helped them during the tasks, to this, Shantanu joked, “Yes, he used to always guide us looking at our scared faces (laughs).”

“We used to always discuss with him on how to do the stunt right and he used to just give us subtle directions without really spilling the beans about the stunt,” he continued. 

What will he miss the most about the show? Responding to this, the dancer-choreographer said, “That adrenaline rush before performing a stunt and that achievement of completing a stunt is something I will miss. Also, the crew and the camaraderie I shared with other co-contestants.”

Elaborating further on the camaraderie he shared with fellow co-contestants, Shantanu added, “There was no competition, competition apart from when we had to perform the task because it was a very healthy competition. There was no bad blood between anyone. We became good friends off camera and used to guide and help each other while performing the task and motivate each other.”

Congratulations, Shantanu!