Even before Gangubai Kathiawadi (2022) came his way, Shantanu Maheshwari was a TV star in his own right. The Sanjay Leela Bhansali film, however, evoked in him the hunger to be a part of interesting stories. This pursuit has now led him to Netflix’s upcoming series, Tooth Pari: When Love Bites, which revolves around the unlikely romance between a dentist and vampire. In conversation with mid-day, the actor shares his initial skepticism about the world of vampires, and how director Pratim Dasgupta allayed his fears.

Edited excerpts from the interview.