In an exclusive chat with Shruti Sinha—dancer, actress, and youth icon known for Roadies, Ace of Space, MTV Splitsvilla and Campus Beats—the multi-talented performer opens up about the transformative power of dance in her life. From classical Kathak to the graceful rigour of ballet, Shruti shares how movement has shaped her identity, grounded her mental health and become her emotional outlet through life’s toughest moments. Recounting everything from reality show breakdowns to the joy of discovering her natural calling, she describes dance as her “safe space” and “natural antidepressant,” offering a deeply personal look into her journey as an artist and individual
Tejal Sinha
tejal.sinha30@gmail.com
Best known for her dynamic presence on Roadies and Campus Beats, dancer and actor Shruti Sinha speaks with the kind of clarity and conviction that can only come from lived experience. For Shruti, dance is not just a talent or a profession—it’s her language, her therapy, her identity. In a candid conversation with The Pioneer, she opens up about how dance has not only shaped who she is but continues to help her navigate life’s most intense emotional landscapes.
Shruti’s relationship with dance runs deep—so deep, in fact, that she likens it to her morning routine. “Dance is like brushing my teeth for me. I have to do it every morning,” she says, not with frustration, but with a smile that reflects her deep connection to the art. “It’s a necessity for me. I’m not saying this in a way where it’s a burden. I know my life cannot happen if dance is not there. It’s a part of me—it’s who I am—and it has shaped me into whatever I’ve become now.”
Every part of her being, from how she walks and talks to how she experiences the world, is rooted in her dance journey. Having been trained since childhood, Shruti began with Kathak—a classical Indian dance form that demands both theoretical and practical knowledge, including formal exams. Later, she explored ballet, another physically demanding discipline that requires intense dedication and endurance.
“I’ve gone way too deep into understanding the art form,” she says of her classical training. “Pain as a concept is very differently wired in my brain. Sometimes I feel like—no pain, no gain. I know it’s cliché, but I need that to learn a new skill. I need to know what it feels like to fall, to understand the actual move.” For Shruti, the lessons she’s learned in the studio apply far beyond the dance floor. “All of these lessons, I learned inside a studio, but I also apply them in real life.”
While she’s trained in multiple styles, ballet holds a particularly special place in her heart. “Honestly, I love ballet, even though I haven’t done it for a while because it’s a form that you need to be regular at, and with my schedule it’s a little difficult,” she admits. “Some people actually find it very boring because the music is the same, the exercises are the same, but I just love it.”
Shruti also adores Kathak, which she studied for 14 years, and pole dancing, which she finds equally empowering. But ballet gave her her first moment under the spotlight. “I got my first centre stage through ballet,” she recalls. “I remember in one of my Kathak classes, Pandit Birju Maharaj ji told me, ‘You look like a Russian ballerina.’ That time, I wasn’t even learning ballet!”
Her ballet teacher Elina echoed the sentiment. “She always used to say that my body is made like I’m a ballerina—I have longer legs, and my feet are always pointed. The relaxed position of my foot is a pointed foot. I also walk with turned-out feet. So it comes naturally to me and I love, love, love, love, love it so much.”
Among the many moments where dance offered Shruti healing, one in particular stands out—her time on the reality show Ace of Space, which followed a captive reality format. “It was mentally very exhausting. We were there for almost 90 days. I don’t think I was in the best mental space. There was no outlet per se to just let go. I needed a class, I needed to go dance—but I couldn’t over there.”
Between the politics of the game, shifting friendships, and the mental strain of isolation, Shruti felt drained. One night at 4 a.m., the show’s host called her into the activity area and asked how she was doing. “I said, ‘I’m not feeling the best. I just want to go back home.’ He said, ‘Okay, breathe. I’ll give you a minute.’ And then he played the song Ik Kudi. I absolutely love that song. He just said, ‘Dance.’”
In that moment, something clicked. “For a second, I froze. Then I closed my eyes and danced. I started crying and just kept moving. At 4 a.m., from my sleep, I’d woken up and danced. I felt so light. So good. Nothing—no conversation or clarification—was needed. Just dance. Even though the world might be against me, I felt like I had this one thing that is mine. I can’t even explain how good that felt.”
Shruti’s connection with dance goes beyond movement—it’s a deep emotional experience that helps her process life. “Dance just makes me feel everything very intensely,” she says. “In general, I don’t process emotions quickly. I take a lot of time. Dance is my way to feel and deal with emotions.”
She’s often found herself unexpectedly in tears after performing a piece. “It’s like pent-up emotions come to the surface. Otherwise, I’d just say, ‘Yeah, I’ll deal with it, I’ll move on.’ But dance is my way to let go and also feel everything to the core. Ignoring isn’t always the best way to deal with things, and dance helps me face what I’m going through.” Currently recovering from an injury, Shruti admits the inability to dance has been emotionally taxing. “I can barely move and it’s taking a toll on me. I’m very stressed and I only wish I could go and dance my heart out. I know that would make me feel so much better.”
Shruti is also deeply aware of how dance can impact mental well-being and personal growth. “It’s not just movement—it’s expression, it’s connection and it’s release,” she says. “I read somewhere that dancing is a natural antidepressant. That says everything.”
For her, dance is therapeutic not only because it’s a physical activity, but because of the emotional clarity it brings. “You feel very connected to your inner self—your body, your emotions. That’s powerful. It helps you understand what’s going on inside you. You can address what’s happening on your own.”
Shruti even considered studying dance therapy while in school. “It’s amazing. Through movement, therapy happens. It’s a guided process where you can explore memories and emotions. I have a few friends from my dance class who actually ended up studying dance therapy—and it really works.” For Shruti Sinha, dance is far more than performance—it’s an ongoing dialogue with herself, a tool for healing, and the foundation of her identity. As she continues to grow as a performer and person, dance remains her most trusted companion. “It’s my safe space,” she says. “It really helps me with everything in life.”
