From Roller Skating Champion to Netflix Dancer: Part 1 - Athlete's mindset

Welcome to Indiana Mehta Blogs.

"When They Said Dancers Are Athletes, I Took It Literally"

What a whirlwind of a journey it’s been!

If you’d asked 10-year-old me what I wanted to be when I grew up, my answer always changed — and was always inspired by Bollywood movies. One day it was an Indian Army officer (after watching Lakshya), another day a hockey player (Chak De India), or even a doctor (Munna Bhai M.B.B.S.).

I clearly remember the day after my 10th-grade board exams when my father asked me to make a list of possible career paths. My list had over 20 professions — and not a single one mentioned dance or acting.

🏃‍♀️ Where it all began!

Looking back, I honestly don’t know how I did it all. It feels like I somehow had more than 24 hours in a day!

I ran 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay races at district, state, and national levels. My weekly training looked something like this:

• Monday, Wednesday, Friday: 6 am – 7 am at SAI Ground, Kandivali East

• Tuesdays: 5 pm – 7 pm at SAI Ground, Kandivali East

  
  

Alongside athletics, I competed in roller skating under coach Ajay Shivlani, training for both timed rink and road races:

• Monday, Wednesday: 6 pm – 8 pm in Khar (plus a two-hour round trip!)

• Tuesday, Friday: 9 pm – 11 pm road training at BKC

  
  

🎭 Dance Finds a Way

First Bharatnatyam performance at 4

My father was an admirer of Bharatanatyam, the classical Indian dance form, so weekends were reserved for my dance training.

I was even allowed to skip my school’s first period (which began at 7:30 am) and join from 8 am — just enough time to rush from the sports ground, shower, fix my hair, and get into uniform.

My school day ran from 8 am to 12:30 pm, followed by lunch, homework, and then — you guessed it — more training.

And somehow, between all that, I still found time to play cricket, badminton, hide-and-seek, and all the fun games that defined the early 2000s childhood.

🎯 Lessons Beyond the Track

Looking back, I realize those years weren’t just about medals or trophies — they were building blocks. Every early morning, every long commute, every bruise on my knees taught me discipline, resilience, and the love for hustle.

I didn’t realize it at the time, but all those hours on the track and the rink were preparing me for a very different kind of stage.

The kind where the lights are brighter, the rhythm is different, and the audience much larger.

To be continued... In Part 2, I’ll share how an athlete’s mindset transformed into an artist — and how that path eventually led me to dance for Netflix.