'How to hold people's attention is challenging.'
Growing up in a household brimming with talent and creativity, Mukti Mohan's story is as much about her family as it is about her individual achievements.
With sisters Neeti Mohan and Shakti Mohan both making their mark in the music and dance world respectively, Mukti is now focused on establishing herself as an actress. She is currently seen in a supernatural horror film called A Wedding Story.
Talking about her close knit bonds with her sisters, Mukti Mohan tells Rediff.com Contributor Mohnish Singh, "Ours was a mad house. Kriti, Neeti and Shakti used to have songs, themes and costumes already (for every occasion), and I used to feel like, what is going on?"
August turned out to be a great month for you with the release of two Web Series -- Gyaarah Gyaraah and Life Hill Gayi as well as your first theatrical film, A Wedding Story.
I am feeling so grateful to all the makers, who gave me these exciting opportunities and put all that responsibility on my shoulders.
Filming A Wedding Story turned out to be an exciting experience because it was yet another new genre for me. It is a supernatural horror film and, as you mentioned, my first theatrical release.
So, I was very, very, excited.
Do you think the Indian audience has warmed up to the horror-comedy genre with films like Munjya and Stree 2 doing great business?
I hope so. The appetite for horror has increased.
Even when the teaser and the trailer of A Wedding Story released, it received a great response.
The makers were anxious about how it will be received, but it was received so well.
From your breakthrough in the reality show Zara Nachke Dikha 2 to now starring in Web shows and films, how has your journey evolved as a dancer and actress?
Absolute evolution. You always start from telling a story and that it heightened when you dance.
I would always participate in plays in colleges.
From here, everything is a victory.
You have been a part of several dance reality shows. How do you think these platforms have shaped your career and influenced your expression as an artist?
At that time, there was no way you could showcase it.
There was no Internet.
Television gave me that platform and that acceptance. Having their (the judges) trust and faith in me allowed me to work on myself.
I even did Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi. I did the stunts and all those things to be in touch with myself, to be in tune with what scares me and what I feel.
It's a boon for an actor to have so many experiences.
I am very happy that I got to do plays. You have to show your calibre somewhere for anyone to pick up that phone and call you for casting, right?
I'm very glad that the theatre-going audience had directors and casting directors, who saw my talent and said, 'So yeah, if we give this character to her, she'll send a beautiful tester. She'll do a good job.'
I have always got excited about auditioning, being part of a story.
Any new story came along, I fully immersed myself in it and tried to do my best.
It has been quite a journey.
Talent that emerged from TV is still relevant and talked about but can we say the same for the talent that emerged from the Internet?
The Internet, in many ways, has allowed a new industry to be formed.
It is well-timed, duration specific and attention specific.
How to hold people's attention is challenging.
We were used to dancing for eight minutes on stage. We had that kind of stamina, and that's what our training was.
You were also given marks and judged, so seeking validation for different platforms, for different durations became a game.
That competitiveness and that positivity is very important for artists to take in their stride.
Now it is like creating your own characters on YouTube videos to transitioning into films, if you have talent.
Even influencers have come in films.
So regardless of the platform, people are always looking for new talent, always looking to be entertained through different mediums.
The world is our stage now, and every person is getting that opportunity.
You can be from anywhere but you might end up working with someone of 40 years of experience.
Imagine I got to work with Anil Kapoor (Thar), who has been in the industry for 44 years!
How was it growing up in a family with such talented sisters, Neeti and Shakti? Was there any sibling rivalry?
Ours was a mad house.
Kriti, Neeti and Shakti used to have songs, themes and costumes already (for every occasion), and I used to feel like, what is going on?
I used to peep from a keyhole when they used to prepare a song and wear mummy's lipstick and play a character.
Neetididi used to direct and choreograph us.
I really think that behind the magnet and the talent, there is a seed, which is Neeti Mohan. She can dance. She can sing. She can act.
She chose to be a playback singer, but quite honestly, she was a source of it all.
She inspired us to follow our journey, follow our heart.
We were so excited when she became a pop star.
We're like, why can't we do shows with you or dance with you?
She was like, no. I don't want you to dance behind me. I want you to dance with me.
All those years of following our own paths -- me in acting, Shaktididi in dancing, and Neetididi in singing.
I think this was a design that maybe God wanted us to perfect our skills and collect as much experience as possible before we were seen together.
All of you are quite busy in your respective careers. How do you get time together?
Whenever we get time, we do dance classes together.
We get together and make each other listen to the tracks we are excited about. We tell each other that this is a storyline, this is a concept. Then we have a meeting.
We encourage each other to come up with something new because we have to up our game even though we have individual careers.
No matter what happens, even if we are busy, we make time for training.
We make time for learning new crafts, new body language, brushing up skills.
You were an established dancer before you started auditioning for acting assignments. How did casting directors treat you when you began the new journey? Did they have any doubts?
Definitely. Until some of my work released, a lot of people wondered if I could act.
Also, there are a certain type of characters that people see fit for you when you are a dancer.
But I was glad that I had done a lot of theatre with a really good bunch of people.
With nurturing, the craft evolved.
We still have a theatre called Mukti Manch, which I started with children's plays.
I made it a point to hone my craft in theatre.
Because I also have trained in Bharata Natyam, these concepts became clearer, especially when I go to training.
Interestingly, casting directors also watch a lot of plays. I didn't know that.
So they knew, even before I did reality shows, that I act. They just wanted to see how I act. So the more plays I did, the more opportunities to audition I got.
I understood the camera medium when I assisted on a film.
It has been over a decade since you have been part of the entertainment industry. What has been the most memorable moment in your career so far?
My major, I think, high point was when I was feeling the lowest.
At that time, my father had given me a poem and said, 'See if you can convert that into a play.'
I took that as a challenge.
That was the lowest and the highest point of my life because I could pick myself up and create something and understand that no matter what you're feeling, you can never keep that above what you're telling on stage, what you're telling the audience, and how you're making them feel.
