Shakti Mohan has opened up about the much-loved on-screen couple Raghav Juyal On the reality show Dance Plus, while viewers adored their chemistry, she revealed that their off-screen bond was rooted in friendship and mutual respect.Speaking to Siddharth Kannan, Shakti said, “I felt very connected to him. I felt like our guy was winning. I think he’s next level, not just because of his achievements, but as a person. He’s one-of-a-kind.”
“He would talk about things I had never heard of”
He praised Raghav’s unique approach, especially when it comes to conversations about society and gender.“Jo ek alag hi soch hai… I never heard anything like this in my life,” he said, and often questioned societal norms. “He would point out that men can be indifferent, but a woman sitting there alone can’t do the same. He wasn’t saying it from a wrong point of view, it’s our society and our thinking.”
“It was a strange transition from friendship to romance”
Shakti admitted that the romantic angle between them was largely created for the show, and that she thought it was unusual at the time.“Before the show, we were very normal friends; we fought like brothers and sisters. Then all of a sudden they started creating a romantic angle. It was written that he was going to tease me. It was a very strange transition for us,” he said.She also recalled how people used to joke about her becoming ‘Mrs Juyal’, to which Raghav had a cheeky reply. “He would say, ‘Why can’t I become Mr. Mohan?’ I thought, this thought can only come from Raghav. I love the way he thinks.’
“I wasn’t happy with that kiss moment”
The dancer also talked about a particular moment on stage that made her uncomfortable.“There was even a kiss moment. I honestly didn’t know about that. They told me something like: If this happens, Raghav will kiss you. I said, why? Why is this happening?” he saidHe added that too Remo D’Souza he cheered on stage. “I’m a very obedient person and at the time I didn’t hold back. My parents were watching. But I did it anyway – and you can see how uncomfortable I was.”
“We never saw anything as personal”
Despite the narrative built around them, Shakti said her bond remained unchanged.“I knew his girlfriend, she knew everything about my life. It was a very clean connection. We never saw it like this. It was just for entertainment,” he said.
‘My father was angry’
Shakti also revealed that her family, especially her father, was not happy with the way the relationship was portrayed.“My father was angry. He came to the show and asked the officials, why are you showing this? I said there is nothing like that, I can even tie a rakhi,” she shared.Even today, he said, people continue to believe there was something more. “Relatives still ask my mother: ‘When are they getting married?’ We never thought it would come this far.”
“It was just for fun”
Looking back, Shakti said she doesn’t hold any grudges. “I don’t think it was wrong. The creators will do anything to make it entertaining. It doesn’t have to be taken personally. Neither he nor I saw it that way. It was just for entertainment.”
