‘Bollywood sometimes tends to overlook talent for looks’
Shweta Tripathi belongs to that rare breed of actors who have convincingly pulled off characters much younger in age on screen. The 32-year-old actor played the role of girls aged 14 and 19 in Haraamkhor and Masaan (2015) respectively.
While she has never been seen as a typical Bollywood heroine in any of her films, she says that she never felt the need to conform to any norms. “There’s a stereotype in Bollywood: Heroine ka matlab lambi, patli aur gori (a heroine should be tall, slim and fairskinned). It’s very important to get out of that, so that you can be your kind of beautiful.”
According to Shweta, the Hindi film industry gives more importance to glamour and appearance than acting chops. She says, “Bollywood sometimes tends to overlook talent for looks. Looks surely play an important role, but talent is equally necessary. You can look beautiful only in photos, video mein sirf looks kitna dekh loge? But sadly, in our industry, talent ko itni importance nahi dete, which shouldn’t be the case.”
However, at the same time she feels that looks help in creating a better impression. “If I go to an event in my pajamas, no one is going to look at me! It is about presentation and how you look,” adds Shweta and picks up Sonam Kapoor as her favourite fashionista. “What Sonam Kapoor has done is brilliant. She has set trends; and owing to that people have so many options. Now they have realised that one can wear a saree in a different way too,” says Shweta, who will next be seen in a film with Vikrant Massey.
Looks play an important role, but talent is necessary. You can look good in photos, par video mein sirf looks kitna dekh loge?
SHWETA TRIPATHI, ACTOR