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- May 20, 2026, 12:36 PM
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- Growing up, I hated my name.
People used to bully me by calling me “Shaktimaan” & “Shakti Kapoor.”
I used to wonder why my parents named me Shakti in the first place because most people associate it with a male figure.
Later, in 10th & 11th standard, my professors told me, “You have no idea how powerful this name is. Iska matlab divine energy hai.” That was the first time I started seeing my name differently.
At home, none of us 3 sisters planned to become artists. We just followed what we loved. I loved dancing, didi loved singing, Mukti loved acting.
But growing up in boarding school, comparisons were constant. Teachers would tell Mukti, “Look at your sister, she dances & studies so well.” Honestly, I feel that pressure shouldn’t exist. Everyone deserves their own identity.
Being the middle child also felt strange sometimes. Na baby wala pyaar mila, na decision-maker wali respect.
Still, dance was the one thing I always knew for sure.
I never overplanned my career. My thinking was always simple: “Agar mann hai, toh mai karungi”
From dancing to choreography to opening Nrittya Shakti to travelling across countries through dance, everything happened step by step.
I always loved folk & classical dance the most. But in reality shows, I realised it wasn’t appreciated as much, so I adapted & learned other styles too. Still, that love for authentic dance forms never left me.
For years, I wanted to create a travel show exploring dance cultures around the world. I pitched the idea many times, but it never worked out. Then after almost 13 years, I finally decided, “I’ll produce it myself”
From Sri Lanka to Kazakhstan, Bhutan, Georgia & more… every country felt like a new chapter. Watching people perform pure folk dance forms in their own culture still makes me emotional because “yahi to hai jisse mai bachpan se pyaar karti thi”
Today, success for me is very simple.
Agar aap jo kar rahe ho usme khush ho, you’re successful.
Featuring: @mohanshakti
Interviewed by: Tanya Savkoor
Editing: @jahnviss
#shethepeople
