Her way or the highway

Life's a journey, says Shweta Tripathi, and shares glimpses of her inner landscape with Tanisha Bhattacharya

- Tanisha Bhattacharya

She showed promise as an actor ever since her debut in 2011 with the hit television series Kya Mast Hai Life. Shweta Tripathi Sharma has come a long way since then. Her big recognition came with Masaan in 2015 alongside Vicky Kaushal. There has been no looking back ever since. Breaking away from the conventional choices as an artiste, the talented lass, who has been well armed with the experience of theatre, continued to deliver memorable performances in projects such as Haraamkhor, Gone Kesh, Mirzapur, Cargo, The Gone Game, Yeh Kaali Kaali Aankhein and quite recently, Kanjoos Makhichoos.

Incidentally, buoyed by a zest to bring about change, she actually wanted to pursue law at first. “I wanted to be a lawyer because I wanted to make a difference in society. I wanted to be the voice for all those people who couldn’t speak up. I still remember how reading the newspaper affected me so much. It made me want to stand up for those who didn’t have the power, strength, or voice,” she reveals.

But here’s the thing: She also had this hidden desire for acting, even though she came from a family where her dad was an IAS officer and her mom was a teacher. Her sister was into theatre, and that’s what attracted her to it too. “My sister and I used to do theatre workshops during the summer, just for fun. We didn’t have any specific goals in mind. And you know what? It taught me that sometimes, not having a clear goal is completely fine. Sometimes, you just do what makes you happy and that helps you grow.”