Graceful, energetic, and always pushing the boundaries of expression, Mukti Mohan is a force to be reckoned with. As an accomplished dancer and actor, she’s captivated audiences with her artistry and versatility. From the stage to the silver screen, Mukti’s journey is a testament to passion and the relentless pursuit of excellence. Mukti Mohan – who made her OTT debut with Thar in 2022 and received accolades for her performances in Gyaarah Gyaarah on Zee5 and Life Hill Gayi on Disney+ Hotstar – was recently seen in the supernatural feature film, A Wedding Story. Apart from showing her acting prowess and winning accolades through dance and comedy reality shows since 2010, Mukti Mohan is surely a household name today. The actress recently got candid about her work schedule and performances in different projects in both dancing and acting.
From dance floors to film sets, how would you describe your journey so far?
I’m extremely grateful to my classical training in Bharatnatyam through my guru, Shri Priya Dinesan, and training in acting through all the wonderful workshops I took in India and abroad. It has given me the confidence of being the conduit to the story and my characters I portray above, changing mediums.
How has marriage changed your outlook on life and career, if at all?
Being married has changed the definition of marriage itself for me; now I have a best friend with whom I grow as an actor, dancer, and even as an artist I wish to become. Kunal and I exchange notes and help each other through scenes, even for each other's auditions, which, before marriage, my sisters, especially Shakti di, used to help me with. So, I’m super blessed to be getting to grow up with my husband as an actor now.
Dance has always been a big part of your identity — how do you keep your passion alive amidst everything else?
Being the youngest one amongst Neeti di, who does her singing Riyaz every day, and Shakti di, who helped me find my roots in dancing, along with whom I trained in Bharatnatyam for 9 yrs and through whom I got introduced to contemporary dance, dancing in front of the TV, to relatives, to audiences in school, colleges and competitions became our organic muscle memory. I still perform live at Mohan Sisters Live concerts in front of our beloved audiences alongside shooting for films and OTT shows. Navigating through dance and acting is what I always wanted to do, as I always considered myself a character, even while dancing; voicing and carrying a story came quite naturally to me.
Looking back, what has been the most defining moment of your career?
My defining moments were when I won a dance reality show, “Zara Nachke Dikha", on Star Plus and a comedy reality show, "Comedy Circus", with Kapil Sharma in the same year, 2010.
In 2022, I got nominated by Filmfare OTT for a supporting role in the Thar movie, which is on Netflix. And in 2024, when 3 of my projects were released and gave me special recognition as an actor as well for my performances in Gyaarah Gyaarah on Zee5 and Life Hill Gayi on Disney+ Hotstar, I was recently seen in the supernatural feature film A Wedding Story.
How do you and your partner support each other’s dreams and aspirations?
As people call each other spouses as better halves, we call each other better full as we complete each other, not quite literally; we speak each other's minds, and before wording it, he and I know which area needs better managing for each other, so we immediately try and work together to ease each other’s apprehensions. Most importantly, we appreciate each other for every fragment that we do for each other. Like any other relationship, it always starts with gratitude.
What are some lessons from your dance and acting career that have shaped you as a person?
I was always intrigued by behaviours and mannerisms. Acting inspired me to take up psychology in school, which led me to major in psychology at Xavier's during my audition phase. Knowing about human psychology helped me in my acting a lot. Dance has taught me from the start that “repetition is the father of learning”, so my focus and discipline come from dance. Acting has taught me to be more empathetic and embrace my vulnerability, as these qualities will shape my practices into a better performance on screen or on stage.
Post-marriage, are there any new directions you wish to explore in your professional life — maybe acting, choreography, or something beyond?
I have experienced a shift in myself. I have started to connect more with the industry at large, which made me realise how, as an aspiring actor, there are very few avenues to work on your craft and build a career in acting in Mumbai. I often heard the name 'strugglers' in movies associated with jobless actors. And as an actor, I never want any actor to feel like a “struggler” just because they chose to tell stories. What are we if not stories?! As an Indian actor, I would like to be a part of a society that helps artists grow. We do theatre, and theatre is the window to society.
We have created a haven for actors called Mukti Manch, a theatre and performing arts company where we offer various acting courses. We focus on eastern and western philosophies of broadening the horizon of realistic acting.
In today’s fast-changing entertainment industry, how do you stay true to yourself while evolving with the times?
Just by being honest with myself and keeping my teachers and family closer.
Finally, when you think about the future — personally and professionally — what are you most excited about?
Personally and professionally, both ways, I’m getting ready to embrace the Mohan sisters' live USA tour, where I will get to spend time with my sisters and perform together with them too, and a film release hopefully by the end of this year.
Team Credits:
Creative Director & Stylist: Pooja Gupta, Spectrum Styles
Photographer: Shivam Vashisht
Designers/Brands: House of Surya, Hubberholme, Dash and Dot, Lino Perros, Dennis Lingo, Lubin & Jia Diamonds
Hair & Make-up: Kanikka Tandon
Venue Partner: The Grand New Delhi
Assistant Stylist: Gunjan Durgapal
Styling Intern: Shikha Shah
