Shweta Tripathi Sharma: The kind of characters and stories I like are offered by OTT
Shweta Tripathi Sharma talks about how she wants to spark conversations and make a meaningful impact with her work in the OTT industry.
With back to back OTT projects such as Escaype Live, Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein and the latest one Kaalkoot, it’s evident that Shweta Tripathi Sharma is focusing on OTT. However, the actor tells us that it’s not a conscious move. “The kind of characters and stories I like are offered by OTT. Bollywood mein kaha milta hai wo sab. Golu (her character in Mirzapur) type ke characters kaha hain,” questions the actor, who is awaiting the third season of the biggest OTT project of her career- Mirzapur, adding, “There is a shift in the film industry and its stories but we need more projects which are true to the world we are living in. There is no film like Pataal Lok made yet.”
Elaborating on the kind of characters she is attracted to, Sharma says, “I am drawn towards tougher, edgier and morally hazy roles because for me, humans are not black, white or grey. They are many colours to a human personality and I like exploring that colour palette. And OTT offers characters that are not of the same colour palette.” She goes on to explain it with the example of a mother and how its portrayal has evolved over the years. “Pehle maa jo hoti thi, wo ya toh bahut acchi hoti thi ya bahut buri. But I can’t be in that bracket. So the stories I am attracted to are majorly drama heavy and compelling, and characters are complicated in their own ways. And like I said, OTT offers those characters to me.”
While projects like these gives an actor like her much-needed creative satisfaction, the audience who likes such content is very niche. Doesn’t that bother her? The actor says no. “These are the stories I want to tell. I want to spark conversations with my work. The reason I did Kaalkoot is because it talks about toxic masculinity that prevails in the system and how easily we judge people. The episode featuring me in Made in Heaven is about dowry. Masaan was about caste among other things. Whatever I do needs to mean something. Jo aap screen par dekhte ho that matters, but what’s happening between the scenes and off camera is important to me because that defines the journey of an actor like me. Pehle mujhe lagta tha ye is tarah ke projects hona ek coincidence hai but nahi. It’s a choice,” she shares, adding, “I am not here for numbers"
