Shweta Tripathi returns to the stage

The actress, who grew up watching plays at the Prithvi Theatre Festival with her family, returns to it as a performer with a thought-provoking new production

Following the box-office success of Mirzapur: The Movie, actor Shweta Tripathi, best known for her much-loved portrayal of Golu Gupta, is all set to return to the stage with Hamsa, a play directed by Rajit Kapur and written by Asad Hussain. Featuring an ensemble cast comprising Shernaz Patel, Sadiya Siddiqui, Faisal Rashid, Sahil Ahuja and Rajit Kapur, the production will be presented at the prestigious Prithvi Theatre Festival next month.

Written by Asad Hussain and directed by Rajit Kapur, Hamsa draws inspiration from the real-life story of Hans Christian Ostro, a Norwegian theatre artist and trekker who was among six foreign nationals abducted in Kashmir in 1995. Using his journey as its starting point, the play moves between history and imagination, bringing together imagined voices from the valley, a storyteller’s fables about a hauntingly familiar landscape, and the journey of Hans’s mother as she retraces her son’s path in search of memories.

As the narrative unfolds, the story of one man becomes a reflection on the larger tragedy of a region. Exploring the delicate relationship between innocence and loss, personal grief and collective memory, Hamsa examines how beauty and sorrow can connect people across geographical, cultural and emotional boundaries.

Speaking about her association with the play and her return to the Prithvi Theatre Festival, Shweta Tripathi says, “Theatre has always held a very special place in my heart. When I was a student in Delhi, I would come to Prithvi Theatre with my parents and sister to watch plays during the Prithvi Theatre Festival. Those visits are some of my most precious memories because that is where so much of my love and joy for acting began. To now be returning to the Prithvi Theatre Festival as a performer feels incredibly special.”