Shweta Tripathi is just as effervescent and broad-minded in person as she is in Masaan , in which she plays Shaalu Gupta. She was in town recently with the cast for the promotion of the film. When asked about the impact the film has had on her life, Shweta breaks out in a wide smile: “So all my friends are getting married, having babies, starting new ventures, but for me, the release of the film is all of those occasions put together.”
In Masaan , Shaalu falls in love with a student, Deepak, who is from the Dom community. “She is a down-to-earth girl who is very confident and self-assured. She is principled, a woman of today. Shayirese bahut shaukh hain (she loves poetry).”
To prepare for the role, Shweta says she started reading Hindi poetry. “Neeraj gave references to films such as Nadiya ke Paar, Babel , and A Separation , as he wanted us to understand the zone of the film.” She adds that Neeraj wrote the role for her.
“It was very flattering because I am neither a child star nor do I come from a film family,” she says beaming. The road to films, for Shweta, took off after she dabbled in theatre and serials, the best-known being Kya Mast Hai Life , in which she plays Zenia Khan.
“For me quality in any project is very important. It took me nine years to get my first release. I have worked for it. I have earned it. I couldn’t have asked for a better debut than Masaan .”
The other critically-acclaimed role Shweta has essayed is that of a teenage girl in love with her teacher, played by Nawazuddin Siddiqui, in the yet to be released, Haramkhor .
“We shot that film in 16 days flat. Working with Nawazudin Siddiqui was like an acting workshop. It helped me become a more confident person.
“Shaalu is not black-and-white. She is all white. She’s a very sweet girl. She is not savvy, tall or sexy, but is charming. Both characters fall in love for the first time. Sandhya in Haramkhor is a grey character. She doesn’t know what love is and is looking for love everywhere.”
Masaan won two awards at the Cannes Film Festival, the FIPRESCI prize, International Jury of Film Critics prize for the Un Certain Regard section and Promising Future prize in the Un Certain Regard section.
It has been equally well-received in India as well, praises pouring in from both audiences and critics. “When you see Masaan , you will come out with the thought that it is a good film. The film is bigger than all of us,” concludes Shweta.
