'Nobody imagined I would become an actor': Shweta Tripathi on Mirzapur impact, being judged as a public figure | Exclusive

Shweta Tripathi is one of the most loved actors on OTT today, who gained widespread recognition for her role as Golu Gupta in Mirzapur. Known for balancing cinema, OTT and theatre, the actor marked her return to the stage on Saturday with External Affairs, a comedy play where she shared the stage with her real-life husband Chaitanya Sharma for the first time.

While she loves being on camera, Shweta revealed that theatre continues to hold a special place in her heart, bringing her the greatest joy through human connection and honest storytelling.

In a recent conversation with WION, Shweta Tripathi, 40, opened up about mental health, self-love, mistakes, changing opinions, and why artists should be allowed to evolve without constantly being judged. Warm and unguarded, Shweta shared her personal and professional journey with remarkable candour.

WION: What attracted you to External Affairs? Why did you decide to be a part of it?

Shweta: For me, whether it’s stage, or screen, three things matter the most, the story, the character I’m playing, and the people making it.

With External Affairs, the people involved were already very special to me. Akarsh Khurana and his team have played a huge role in my life. In fact, because of one of their plays, The Interview, I met the love of my life and my best friend. So Akarsh is someone I will almost always say yes to.

He always gives me roles that allow me to have fun and explore myself as an actor. Once he even cast me as a young Sardar boy in a children’s play, and I absolutely loved it.

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Apart from that, External Affairs is a very well-written and fun play. The character I’m playing is a semi-successful influencer from the current generation. She’s modern, urban, and active on dating apps, which is very different from who I am as a person. I think I’m more of an old soul who values human interaction.

The play also explores the pressure of today’s digital world — constant consumption, endless entertainment, and being judged for everything you say, wear or do. I find that fascinating and challenging as an actor.

WION: This is your first project with your husband Chaitanya Sharma. What has the experience been like?

Shweta: The comfort comes very naturally because we know each other so well. But the difficult part is that our characters are not as fond of each other as we are in real life.

So we had to consciously dial down our own affection and focus on what the characters were feeling. That process of “unlearning” has actually been very interesting.

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Chaitanya and I have been married for nine years and dated for five years before that. Our first date happened years ago. But in the play, our characters are going on their first date. They are judging each other, wondering if the other person is a green flag, or red flag. We are far beyond that stage in real life, so recreating those butterflies again has been both the biggest challenge and the most fun part.

WION: What does theatre offer that films and web series cannot?

Shweta: I don't look at it as a comparison because I love being on camera and I love being on set. But theatre is where our roots are. Before cameras, before scale and visibility, there were rehearsal rooms. Even when I was in school, I attended theatre workshops where we learned trust exercises, had long conversations and performed for live audiences. Every show is different. You learn from your mistakes and sometimes magical moments come out of those mistakes.

Theatre also gives you grounding because the audience is responding in real time. If you miss something, they miss it. There are no retakes. Once you're on stage, you're on your own with your co-actors. It's almost like being on a sports field. The coach has prepared you, but once the game starts, it's up to you. The audience laughs with you, goes silent with you or becomes uncomfortable because of something you're saying. That's the magic of theatre.

In today's world, where attention is constantly being pulled in different directions, theatre is one of the few places where human attention is uninterrupted. It creates a community and can be a healing collective experience. Theatre keeps empathy alive.

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WION: Did Chaitnya discover anything about you as an actor that surprised him?

Shweta: He discovered how chaotic my preparation process can be - and I think it scares him a little. I procrastinate a lot. Instead of doing the most important thing first, I’ll do everything else in the world. I’ve been like that since childhood. My room is always a "mess."

Meanwhile, Chaitnya likes things neat and organised. So he’s amused watching my process. He also knows that if something goes wrong, he might have to handle it on stage, so I think he’s prepping even more carefully because of that. It’s actually very cute.

But because he’s such a wonderful co-actor and partner, I also feel a responsibility towards our professional relationship. We enjoy our personal bond, but I want us to enjoy and grow through our professional collaboration too.

WION: Golu Gupta from Mirzapur remains hugely popular. How did the show change your career?

Shweta: It definitely opened more doors for me and literally doors to people's homes.

I get love from people of all ages. Earlier, people used to ask me when I would do something commercial. After Mirzapur, nobody asked that anymore.

I read somewhere that it became a streaming phenomenon. I remember being at the Berlin Film Festival and people there knew about Mirzapur. When your work travels beyond your own country, it feels wonderful.

The show gave me recognition and love, and it also proved that if you stay honest to the kind of stories you want to tell, people will connect with them. It also makes my parents happy. My father is an IAS officer and my mother is a teacher. Nobody imagined I would become an actor.

That's why I always tell parents to encourage their children and support their dreams. You never know what they're capable of.

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WION: How do you protect your mental health in an industry where everyone has opinions?

Shweta: I think films, sports and politics are fields where everybody has an opinion.

People constantly comment on what actors should wear, eat or say. But we're human beings too. We became actors because we wanted to act. I don't want to take the pressure of always being right. Human beings make mistakes. There will be things I wear that people don't like and things I say that I may later realise were wrong.

Opinions change. People change. That's part of life. I think it's important to focus on ourselves rather than constantly judging others. Self-love is not about being selfish. It is also about holding yourself accountable. It's easy to point out problems. Finding solutions and making positive contributions is much harder.

WION: What can audiences expect from Mirzapur: The Movie?

Shweta: We are all extremely excited. It has been almost a decade of working together, and the cast has genuinely become a family.

I have immense love and respect for my co-actors like Ali Fazal, Vijay Varma, Rasika Dugal and everyone else associated with the project. We are each other’s support systems even beyond work.

The film is going to be a lot of fun on the big screen. The boys have killed it. People watched the series individually on OTT, but now audiences will experience that world together in theatres, and that energy will be very exciting. The background score is incredible and the entire team has worked very hard because we know how much the audience loves Mirzapur. We take that responsibility seriously.