Shweta Tripathi Sharma, who will soon be seen in the web series Escaype Live, is currently enjoying the praise coming her way for an audio series. Shweta voices Barbara Gordan, Gotham’s chief of police, Jim Gordan’s daughter in Batman Ek Chakravyuh. The podcast, streaming on Spotify, is the Hindi adaptation of David S. Goyer’s Batman Unburied and is directed by Mantra Mugdh. Here, the Mirzapur actor talks about her experience of working on the podcast and more. Excerpts:
What prompted you to say yes to Batman Ek Chakravyuh?
There wasn’t a particular reason for saying yes. If they had offered me any character I would have still said yes. Since childhood, I wanted to use my voice and wanted to do voiceovers for animations. Before I started my acting career with Kya Mast Hai Life, I had done voiceovers for a few characters in a film for Warner Brothers in Hindi. I was happy because for two-three hours I had received Rs 10,000. My monthly salary would merely be Rs 20,000 only. And I was like wow, I want to do this as I am getting good pay. That was just the beginning and now we are here doing Batman..., it feels cool. We are always working on the screen and trying to improve our skills. Learning is a never-ending process. As a voice-over artiste, you learn modulation, breathing techniques, and the art of when to pause.
What was the experience of lending a voice to Barbara Gordan like?
Barbara Gordan is Jim Gordan’s daughter who later turns out to be a bad girl. I am thankful to be able to do varied roles on screen and this one is also different. I am lucky and feel happy that my work has been appreciated by the audiences and critics. I feel protected and cushioned and also know hopefully nobody wants to think bad of me. I am working for such a huge production. It used to be my dream. If there is a story and emotions that need to be brought out, language should never be a barrier. I am so glad Batman is done in Hindi. I love my language and we should be proud of it.
Are you open to taking international projects if given a chance?
I am open to going international as well. I want the entire world to watch my work. Your reach is of utmost importance. It’s not power, popularity or money that drives me. For me, my work drives me and until this day whatever I have done I am happy. I wish to explore more. I am glad I have done stage, cinema, short films and now audio. I always look for exciting stories to be part of it. Numbers don’t excite me.
Theatrical Hindi releases haven’t been doing well. Do you think cinema halls will not flourish?
The experience of the cinema hall with our family is a fun-filled one. I consume content that is very personal to me. I cry, laugh and get emotional while watching films. It’s a one-on-one experience. Everything TV, OTT, theatre, and audio can co-exist as everyone is so hungry for good content whether you hear it or watch it.
You are known to take up different projects. What next will we see you in?
I’m starting a new crime show called Saaf: The Cleaning Lady, which is an adaptation of an Argentinian show. Then I have Mirzapur season three and Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein season two. There is a comedy film, Kanjoos Maakhichoos, with Kunal Kemmu. There is another show called M for Mafia in which I play an acid attack survivor. It’s a fictional story and I visited Lucknow to meet the survivors.
