A dedicated and hardworking dancer, Shruti started her Kathak journey after marriage at the age of 28. Happy to follow her passion for dancing, she has participated in many dance competitions and won prizes.

Shruti Saraf is a Kathak dancer and teacher in Mumbai.

Hailing from Mumbai, Shruti began her Kathak journey after her marriage at the age of 28. She graduated from the Nalanda Dance Research Centre in Juhu with a degree in Kathak. She currently works as a Kathak teacher at Kala Vrksa in Goregaon West in addition to managing her own institution, Nupur KalaVithika, in Goregaon East. She teaches dance at Kandivali, Mumbai, as well.

Though she did not know about Kathak, she had always been fascinated by dance. She had been interested in learning Bharatanatyam as she liked the performers' attire. But she was unable to learn it because of familial constraints.  She took up learning Kathak as a hobby after getting married. She chose to learn the Kathak dance form out of curiosity but ultimately decided to make it her career.

According to Shruti, Kathak is an Indian classical dance style that translates to "storytelling." She notes that Kathak originated in Uttar Pradesh and that this style of dance features a particular type of footwork. Kirtans marked the beginning of Kathak's voyage, but ultimately it evolved from Bhakti to entertainment, and progressively the many Gharanas of Kathak evolved. She is appreciative of Pt. Birju Maharaj and other well-known individuals for promoting Kathak.

Shruti competed in several dancing events and took home many awards. That she was able to pursue her passion, she considers as her greatest achievement.

When Shruti looks back on her early years, she recalls that Chiplun is where she was born and finished her schooling. Her degree was a BSc in Chemistry. In her early years, she also enrolled in Bharatanatyam courses and gave a performance at an event.

Speaking about her struggles, Shruti states that mastering Kathak after marriage presented a number of difficulties. She struggled to muster the energy needed for it. Despite the taunts she received from many, she never gave up and managed to conquer all obstacles with the help of her husband and family.

Shruti looks up to her guru, Varada Pandit, from whom she received a great deal of learning as her role model. She was also inspired by Nutan Patwardhan's dancing, thus she also admires her.

Shruti’s success mantra is to be joyful and to appreciate and forgive people. She thinks it's crucial to honour our nation and abide by all laws and guidelines.

Shruti advises aspiring professionals in her field that perseverance and hard effort are essential for learning any traditional dance discipline. One should constantly be prepared to pick up new information. In order to develop and improve stamina, daily "riyaz" is essential.

If given a time machine to go back to her past, Shruti would start her journey in Kathak from childhood.

She advises everyone that you can learn anything and pursue your interest at any age. She exhorts parents to engage in their own interests rather than forcing them on their kids.