It's dancer and choreographer Shakti Mohan's birthday on October 12. The dance diva turns 35 this year. We take a look at her journey so far!
Updated On: 2018-10-12 06:06 PM IST
Born on October 12, 1985, Shakti Mohan shot to fame with Dance India Dance. She is the winner of the second season of the dance reality show. Shakti is trained in contemporary dance, Bharatnatyam and ballet and has done item numbers in films like 'Tees Maar Khan' and 'Rowdy Rathore'. Shakti Mohan was also a finalist on the dance reality show 'Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa' in 2014. (All pictures: Shakti Mohan's official Instagram account)
Shakti Mohan has three sisters, Neeti Mohan, Mukti Mohan and Kriti Mohan. The Mohan family is originally from Delhi, but Shakti has been living in Mumbai since 2006.
You would be surprised to know that Shakti Mohan had met with an accident in her childhood. She was seriously injured, after which doctors announced that she might not be able to walk again. However, she overcame her injury and is now one of the most successful dancers in the industry.
Do you know Shakti Mohan wanted to become an IAS officer before her appearance on Dance India Dance (DID)? She studied at Birla Balika Vidyapeeth, a boarding school, and has an MA in Political Science from St. Xavier's College, Mumbai.
Shakti Mohan considers Bollywood choreographer Saroj Khan as her inspiration. She even worked with Khan in her show 'Nachle Ve With Saroj Khan'.
Shakti Mohan was a judge on the dance reality show Dance Plus 3 and even judged the international dance-reality show 'Dance Singapore' in 2015.
Shakti Mohan started learning the Indian classical dance form Bharatanatyam since she was in the seventh grade at school. 'I learnt it for eight years. After that, I started learning contemporary (form) and now I am into that only,' said the danseuse, who was motivated to take up dance as a career after choreographer Terence Lewis encouraged her.
Do you know Bollywood actress Parineeti Chopra is a fan of Shakti Mohan? Pari had confessed on National Television saying, 'Whenever the song 'Aa Re Pritam Pyaare' plays on television, I stop and watch it only for Shakti. What stunning moves!'
Shakti Mohan also has her own dance studio. She even runs Nritya Shakti, an online store featuring clothes and accessories targeted at dancers.
Shakti Mohan curated the fashion line keeping up with the popular dance culture in India. 'I had always wanted to create a line focused on dance because the right kind of clothing is very important for it. Dancers like to dress in a certain way. As a kid I used to look for clothes in shops with the word dance written on them , I wanted to wear my identity. I still remember my first ever dance tracks that my sister Neeti got for me from Broadway Dance Center, NYC,' Shakti Mohan had told mid-day.
Earlier Shakti Mohan would buy her dancewear from New York and hated the fact that she had to wait for someone to travel. 'Unfortunately in India there aren't too many stores that provide clothing that is comfortable and stylish at the same time for dancers,' she rued.
Shakti Mohan has also essayed the role Kriya Ghai in the Channel V show 'Dil Dosti Dance'
Shakti Mohan feels 'offended' when people ask her if she is considering making her acting debut. While she is open to doing films, she is satisfied with being a dancer. She has even choreographed the song 'Kamli' in 'Dhoom 3' along with Vaibhavi Merchant, which was picturised on Katrina Kaif.
Shakti Mohan's dance career has been unstoppable, after Dance India Dance.