Mirzapur's Shweta Tripathi Sharma Tells Us How To Be A Gangster (Exclusive)

Shweta Tripathi Sharma is a certified gangster. At least for the ones who are ardent fans of the crime thriller series Mirzapur, whose Season 3 dropped on OTT earlier this month. Playing Gajgamini Gupta aka Golu, she also underwent training in using firearms for the web show known for its twists, violence and gaalis. In an exclusive interview with The Free Press Journal, the actress talks about violence in the series, learning to fire a real gun and more.

Pulling the trigger

When she knew there would be action sequences involving guns she requested action director Manohar Varma and the production house that she wanted to know the nitty gritties of gun handling. “As an actor, we are always on somebody else's economical clock. So you aren’t only performing, but also doing it in time. And rightfully so, because there is the entire cast and crew involved, with everyone being interdependent. I needed to know what a gun shot sounds like, so that I don’t get scared during an actual take. I had to know how to hold a gun and fire it the correct way,” Sharma tells us. She points out that physical strength and warm ups are very important, in order to reduce injuries on set, something which is seldom spoken about.

After effects

The character arc of Golu over the three seasons involves her losing several family members to violent deaths, being kidnapped and the obvious gang wars. Does playing such intense characters have any impact on her personally? Sharma reveals that being Golu makes her stronger every day and she loves that energy. In fact, she says that everyone watching the series should inculcate those traits within themselves since Golu is a rebel warrior, she tells us. She admits that dramas such as these do leave an impact, whether it is the form of pain, anger or loss, and that she hopes and prays that the tragedies the character experienced don’t happen with anyone else. But hard hitting roles aren’t new to the actress, who has an unforgettable role in the critically acclaimed Masaan (2015), and also Gone Kesh (2019) where she portrays a young girl diagnosed with alopecia.

Black and white and grey

One repeated criticism that the series has faced right from the beginning is about the intense violence shown in Mirzapur. So what’s her take on it?

“I think there is a responsibility that everybody has. Also this is a fictional show, though the audience nowadays is very smart and intelligent. This awareness has also seeped in because there are shows being created all over the world that depict violence and pain. In OTT we have transcended black and white and grey. No person wants to indulge in violence from birth. In fact, through the characters of Mirzapur what we are showing is that if you go the violent way, then you are straying from your path. Violence, I personally feel, should be just kept for the screen. As the audience we are the ones with the voting power. This game is all about demand and supply. So see what you want to see. I want that through my work there should be conversations started, even if it is about violence, and violence is not good, which is what we try to show you,” Sharma concludes.