Shakti Mohan says dancers have no fixed hours, recalls 18-hour workdays

Dancer-choreographer Shakti Mohan spoke about the realities of long working hours in the entertainment industry. In an exclusive interview, she also spoke about her journey after winning Dance India Dance, her dynamics with her sisters, and the changing landscape of dance opportunities in India.

Dancer-choreographer Shakti Mohan has weighed in on the demand to regulate working hours in the entertainment industry. Speaking to India Today, she said there is nothing like working hours in a dancer's life and admitted to working for 18 hours in her initial days.

In the exclusive interview with India Today, the 40-year-old also recalled how her life changed after gaining fame, why she stopped acting, starting her own dance production brand and whether she faced any competition and comparison with her sisters.

When discussing the importance of regulated working hours, Shakti said the concept barely exists in a dancer and choreographer's life in India. "When we used to do Dil Dosti Dance (2011), we used to work for 12 hours minimum. Some days we would work for 15 hours. On some days, we would have rehearsals after the shoot, then I used to go for Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa (Season 7) rehearsals."

She highlighted that such extended workdays were common, especially before recent conversations about work-life balance gained traction. "We came from an environment where there was no awareness of working hours. Even in Dance India Dance (Season 2), we would have a working day of 18 hours," she elaborated.

Expanding on the mindset that allowed her to manage such intense schedules, Shakti explained, "It's good that people have a work-life balance, but we have the background that we don't have any complaints. We think hum logo ko kitna bhi kaam karwalo, hum kar lenge and khushi khushi kar lenge (They think that no matter how much work they give us, we will do it, and we will do it happily)."

Shakti, however, isn't complaining. She says the important thing is to be motivated about one's work. "I won't sulk because we are so driven and motivated by what we are doing. I don't think of this as work, but I do understand that people have that kind of choice – that they would only work for a certain number of hours. So, that's fine. That's their life."