Shakti Mohan refused to be paid for 'Padmaavat' song, says Sanjay Leela Bhansali is very strict: 'Even if you breathe...'

Dancer and choreographer Shakti Mohan who started out with 'Dance India Dance' has come a long way after the reality show. Shakti has managed to create her own niche over the years. In a recent interview, Shakti opened up about landing her first big choreography opportunity with filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali for the 'Padmaavat' track featuring Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone. She also shared what it was like working with the renowned director, describing him as “very strict.”

During a conversation with Hauterrfly, Shakti recalled how overwhelming the opportunity felt. She said, “My first song as a choreographer was with Sanjay Leela Bhansali. It was ‘Nainowale Ne’ from the film Padmaavat. There, I freaked out because I got the chance to work with Bhansali in my first song as a choreographer.”




The choreographer also revealed that she chose not to take any payment for the project, considering it a priceless learning experience. “I refused to be paid for that song. I told him that ‘I should pay you because I’m learning from you.’ It was a big deal for me. So, when he spoke about money, I said, ‘Please, mat dijiye mujhe.‘ I will always do it for free for him because you are getting to work with such a genius.”



Shakti went on to describe Bhansali’s intense work style, noting that everyone around him needs to stay alert on set. “Yes, he is very strict. Even if somebody breathes around him, he will turn and give them a look. For three hours, people would just hold their breath and stand beside him. He has a vision of each and everything, and even if the light is dim on one leaf, he has to correct it. Everyone has to be very patient for that process.”

Speaking about her experience working with Deepika Padukone, Shakti explained that most of their interaction happened directly on set due to the actor’s tight schedule. “My interaction with Deepika was directly on the set and there were no rehearsals because she was shooting all the time. We were teaching her dance steps on set. There was a dance sequence where she had to perform it on a stone in the middle of the lake while holding a bow and wearing a saree. It was so challenging. That had so many takes, but in the end, it was removed from the song, but the rest of the romantic bits were there.”

On the work front, Shakti Mohan was seen as a celebrity judge on 'Hip hop India' Season 2.Get the latest entertainment updates from the Times of India, along with the latest Hindi movies, upcoming Hindi movies in 2026 , and Telugu movies.”