Shubham Maheshwari: How He Landed Gat in We Were Liars

A college economics student scrolling through acting gigs on Backstage isn’t the typical path to a lead role in a Prime Video thriller. But for Shubham Maheshwari, that late-night scroll set off a chain of events that landed him the key part of Gat Patil in We Were Liars. This article breaks down how he landed the role through an Backstage (acting career platform) open casting call with no agent, what we know about his background, and where the series was filmed.

Role: Gat Patil · First TV role: 2025 · Ethnicity: Indian · Prior Experience: None

The following table summarizes Shubham Maheshwari’s key attributes.

How did Shubham Maheshwari get the role of Gat?

Five distinct steps turned a university student into a Prime Video lead. The process, detailed by Backstage (acting career platform), shows how an open call can bypass traditional barriers.

1. Found the casting call on Backstage. While studying economics, Maheshwari came across the Backstage listing for We Were Liars. He later told Polyester Zine (independent culture magazine): “I was fortunate that I saw the We Were Liars open casting call at a time when I was actively applying for things on Backstage.”
2. Applied without an agent. He had no representation and no professional credits. The South China Morning Post (Hong Kong-based newspaper) confirms he had never set foot on a film set before.
3. Read the source material. After seeing the character brief, Maheshwari immediately read E. Lockhart’s best-selling novel and applied because he loved the story, per SCMP.
4. Auditioned via Zoom and multiple rounds. According to IMDb News (film industry news site), the process included remote auditions after the open call. Polyester Zine reports there were “many auditions”.
5. Cast as Gat Patil. He was chosen as the only non-Sinclair among the four core Liars, alongside Emily Alyn Lind, Esther McGregor, and Joseph Zada (Backstage).

The pattern: Maheshwari’s lack of acting habits may have made him more natural for a role that required authenticity over polish.

Who is Shubham Maheshwari, who plays Gat on We Were Liars?

• Background: Maheshwari was born and raised in Dubai to Indian immigrant parents (SCMP). He was studying economics at university when he found the casting call (Backstage).
• First TV role: This is his screen debut (Backstage). He joined the industry from outside the usual audition circuit.
• Role context: Gat Patil is the only non-Sinclair among the group of friends at the center of the mystery. Maheshwari’s character is pivotal to the family drama (Backstage).

The implication: Maheshwari’s lack of acting habits may have made him more natural for a role that required authenticity over polish.

How old is Shubham Maheshwari?

His exact date of birth has not been publicly confirmed. Most biographical sources estimate he was born in 2001, making him around 24 years old during the 2025 release. Height is often reported as 5’9″ (175 cm), though neither figure is verified by official documents. Given the lack of primary sources, both age and height remain in the “unclear” category.

The pattern: This openness allows casting directors to consider him for a wider range of characters without being locked into a specific age bracket.

Who is the Indian actor in We Were Liars?

Shubham Maheshwari is the Indian actor playing Gat Patil. His ethnicity is Indian, as confirmed by SCMP. He is the sole South Asian cast member among the main quartet.

His character, Gat Patil, is described as the non-Sinclair friend who becomes romantically involved with a Sinclair cousin. The role represents a rare instance of Indian representation in a YA thriller adaptation on Prime Video.

Where is We Were Liars filmed?

The series was filmed in Nova Scotia, Canada. IMDb News notes that Maheshwari, an economics major from Dubai, “ended up in Nova Scotia for production.” Key locations include the fictional Sinclair family compound and surrounding beaches, which match the novel’s coastal setting. The production was a collaboration between Universal Television and Amazon MGM Studios (Backstage).

The eight-episode season (Backstage) adapts E. Lockhart’s young adult thriller, which has sold millions of copies worldwide.

“I was fortunate that I saw the We Were Liars open casting call at a time when I was actively applying for things on Backstage.”

— Shubham Maheshwari, in an interview with Polyester Zine (independent culture magazine)

Maheshwari was studying economics at university when he found the casting call that changed everything.

— Backstage (acting career platform)

For aspiring actors without a network or agent, Shubham Maheshwari’s story shows that an open casting call can be a genuine entry point. But it also underscores the importance of timing, persistence, and a willingness to start from scratch. For the thousands of actors scrolling through Backstage tonight, the takeaway is clear: apply anyway, even without credits. The worst that can happen is a rejection email; the best is a role on Prime Video.

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