Dressed in gold and red, with a hint of white, when singer Neeti Mohan and her dancer sisters Shakti and Mukti Mohan headed to the stage at VIT Chennai, the cheers never ceased. From Kathak and Bharatanatyam to jazz, contemporary, and garba, the trio — The Mohan Sisters Live — presented them all. Post the event, Shakti, in conversation with CE, said, “It was a fabulous experience. The energy of the students was incredible, and overall, the vibe in Chennai was just amazing.”
Mohan Sisters Live was a seed sown in childhood. Neeti, who is now a singer, used to choreograph dances for her sisters. “She’s the one who truly ignited this love for singing, dancing, and performing in all of us. That’s really how it all started and grew over time. About two or three years ago, she suggested that we all come together and create a show. Ever since then, we’ve been performing together, and it honestly feels like such a blessing to be able to share the stage with my own sisters,” said Shakti, adding that they are doing the thing they’ve always loved, except professionally.
A reality show winner, Shakti has made a mark with her projects, among which is Dance Across The World, a series where she promotes dance forms of several countries on her YouTube channel, Nritya Shakti. “I truly wanted to promote these beautiful dance forms that are slowly fading away today. This idea has been with me for the last 13 years. At one point, I felt that nobody was really stepping forward to produce it or support me in this journey, so I decided to do it myself using whatever abilities and resources I had,” she said.
While in the first season, she travelled to Sri Lanka, Kazakhstan, Mauritius, the United States, the United Arab Emirates, and Tanzania, for the current season, she has travelled to Georgia, Australia, and Bhutan. “We’ll be releasing our episode from Russia (today). The core idea of the show is to travel to different countries and explore their folk dance forms, those that are incredibly beautiful, raw, pure, and have existed for thousands of years. This is honestly one of the favourite things I’ve ever done,” she said, adding that the locals teach her their dance forms, which she later films wearing their traditional outfits. In the future, Shakti wishes to cover the dance forms of Japan, South Korea, and Brazil, “Eventually, I want to reach every corner of this planet,” she said.
Another project that she has been nurturing for the past decade, her “baby”, is her dance school, Nritya Shakti in Mumbai, where she imparts dance education. Some of her students also performed at the event in Chennai. “It feels incredibly fulfilling to be able to impart dance education and help take so many careers forward, especially for people who once doubted whether they could even dance. I started with the same doubts myself; I couldn’t imagine it as a career. But when I started receiving recognition, so much love from people, winning reality shows, and eventually judging them, I realised that it was my time to give back to everyone who had supported me. That’s when the idea of opening a studio came about; to give back, to support dancers who are just starting their journeys, and to guide them towards becoming professionals,” she shared.
While Shakti acknowledges the power of social media, providing a platform for people to showcase their talents and give them the leverage, she is a strong believer in proper training. “I definitely would recommend training in dance as it is beneficial not just for professionals, but for everyone. It helps with mental and physical health and brings a lot of discipline into your life,” she said, adding, passionate dancers who want to pursue their dreams are welcome to Nritya Shakti.