They say firsts stay with you. For Shweta Tripathi, it began with the simple joy of performing. Before she understood what being an actor meant, she knew she loved being on stage and wanted more of it. That instinct led her to her debut film Masaan, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and won two awards, including the FIPRESCI Prize.
The news came during another first. Shweta had just attended her first festival with Haramkhor at the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles, where she won Best Actor. She was on a road trip from Los Angeles to San Francisco when director Neeraj Ghaywan called to say Masaan was headed to Cannes.
“That moment changed how I saw cinema. It wasn’t just about release or box office. It was about stories travelling, conversations starting, and cultures meeting.”
This year, Shweta attended the Berlin International Film Festival for the first time, a festival long on her wishlist. Now also a producer, she chose to experience Berlinale as a student of cinema attending panels, watching international films, and engaging deeply with global storytellers. She watched films from across cultures, attended a live orchestra screening of Charlie Chaplin, and met Jack Thorne, writer of Adolescence.
“For me, festivals are where cinema breathes differently. You’re reminded that stories don’t belong to one country. They belong to everyone.”
As she continues to grow as an actor and producer, Shweta is clear about her next chapter bringing her own films to the global festival circuit.
“I love festivals. I love the conversations, the curiosity, the celebration of storytelling. This is just the beginning. See you over there.”
After Berlinale, she heads to Amsterdam for a live concert by Hans Zimmer carrying inspiration from cinema, music, and the road ahead.