Even if I die tomorrow, I would be content about getting what I had never imagined,” Shakti Mohan told t2, during her Calcutta visit as part of the Nritya Shakti Tour 2015. The Dance India Dance Season 2 champ and Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 7 stunner spoke about her tour, film debut and her sisters (singer Neeti Mohan and dancer-actress Mukti Mohan).

It’s been five years since you won Dance India Dance, what’s the journey been like? 

It’s been crazy because I had never expected that with dance I could gain so much popularity, acceptance and love from people. I am very happy (smiles). I know actors and singers get a lot of fame, but dancers usually don’t! 

How and when did you conceptualise the Nritya Shakti Tour?

I have just completed five years in the industry. So, I wanted to do something for the people who have made me who I am today. Kriti (sister and manager) and I came up with the idea to tour the world and connect with the real people who have supported me. That’s how I started Nritya Shakti Tour 2015. After travelling in  Singapore, Malaysia, Chennai and now Calcutta, it’s been a fabulous experience because you really need to know people who love and follow your work on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. I have seen these people posting pictures on Facebook and now I see the same faces in my class! I am going to US (Raleigh, Dallas, Seattle, San Francisco) for a month and then to Paris. My last stop is Mumbai. 

How was the Calcutta experience? 

There is a lot of excitement and enthusiasm among people here. The response has been overwhelming. Calcutta has been very special to me because my parents were born and raised here. My naani and some relatives live here. Coming here means feeling loved. Though we didn’t get time to go around the city,
I had my share of phuchka and churmur!

Have you come across any crazy fan during the tour?

There is a fan from Malaysia, I haven’t seen anybody like her! She constantly sends emails. She found out my phone number and keeps calling me. The moment she sees me, she starts crying and screaming. She even came down to Mumbai to see me. Every time I meet her, she says, ‘What can I do for you, didi?’ There are also some dance groups in San Francisco and Dubai who are my fans.

You left Dil Dostii Dance on Channel V to pursue dance training in New York. Wasn’t it a huge risk to leave a popular youth show on TV?

When I had joined the show, I didn’t know about acting. For everybody in that show, acting just happened. We had done months of workshops, as we didn’t know anything. We basically learnt how to face the camera.... It was my dream to train in New York, so I had to leave. I have also featured in a documentary for the BBC World Collaboration Culture Series at Manhattan School of Music. It all happened at the right time. For me, it is very important to grow as a dancer. I can’t be stagnant. TV gave me money, but I told myself at that point, ‘Stop earning and start learning’. I stayed there for four months. It was a fabulous experience and has definitely made me a better dancer. 

Now that you are back in India, will you go back to acting?

Well, there is a movie that I am going to shoot by the end of the year. I can’t talk about it! (Smiles) I am preparing for the film. I am very excited about my debut movie. This year has been very exciting for me. 

Do you think being a dancer helps you in your acting?

It helps because you are used to movements. You have the grace. It helps in performing and expressing feelings. 

If you have to choose between dance and acting? 

Dance, definitely, any day! (Laughs)   

You are now a judge on Dance Singapore Dance. How was it being on the other side of the table? 

It was weird to be a judge! It was scary. I thought it would be very easy... but  giving judgement is not an easy job. I always thought judges have nothing to do, they just sit and comment. I was wrong (grins).... The show will start airing this month in Singapore and 28 other countries. 

How do the four Mohan sisters — Neeti, Mukti, Kriti and Shakti — bond? 

Fortunately, we have great bonding. Mukti worked as Anurag Kashyap’s assistant director in Bombay Velvet and Neeti was Anushka Sharma’s voice in the same film. Neeti and Mukti love chai. I am not a chai person but whenever we sit together, chai is must! (Laughs) We always connect and talk about each other’s work and projects. We are well aware about what’s happening in each other’s lives.

What’s a normal day in your life? 

I wake up early... around 7am. I go to the park to run. Sometimes, I do yoga. Then, I have breakfast, start work on my company Nritya Shakti and go to my own store where we sell dance merchandise. In the evening, I go to the park again to work out and do some training. I have my own studio where I practise. I try to finish by 9pm so that I can hit the bed early. The days when I have rehearsals or when I am travelling are crazy!

You are quite active on social media....

I do it only for work! I think it consumes all your time, though it’s a great way to connect with people. Beyond an extent, it is an addiction. I think I have become addicted to my phone!

Ratnalekha Mazumdar
Pictures: Anindya Shankar Ray 
Shakti Mohan is.... Tell t2@abp.in