Latest news with #ShwetaTripathi
News18
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- News18
Shweta Tripathi Produces Bold Queer Drama ‘Cock', Set To Debut In Mumbai And Delhi This Pride Month
Last Updated: Shweta Tripathi debuts as a theatre producer with queer play Cock, premiering in Delhi and Mumbai this Pride Month to celebrate LGBTQ+ stories on stage. Shweta Tripathi Sharma, best known for her powerful performances across film and OTT platforms, is returning to her artistic roots—theatre—with a bold new role: producer. More than a decade since she last appeared on stage, Shweta is back, this time producing the Indian premiere of the critically acclaimed queer play Cock, written by British playwright Mike Bartlett. The production is set to debut during Pride Month, with premiere performances on June 6 at Max Mueller Bhavan in Delhi and June 10 at Mumbai's iconic Prithvi Theatre. Produced under her newly launched theatre banner AllMyTea, Cock is a raw, emotionally charged narrative that explores sexuality, identity, and the spectrum of human connection. The play, directed by UK-based theatre-maker Manish Gandhi, features an impressive cast including Rytasha Rathore, Tanmay Dhanania, Sahir Mehta, and Harssh Singh. With a story centered around a man torn between his long-term male partner and a newfound attraction to a woman, the play delivers a gripping, intimate exploration of desire and self-discovery—topics that remain deeply relevant today. For Shweta, this isn't just a creative venture; it's a deeply personal mission. 'Theatre has always been my first love," she said. 'It's raw, immediate, and leaves no space to hide—from the audience or from the truth. Producing a play like Cock is a personal and creative decision born out of my belief that storytelling should reflect the world in all its complexity and beauty." She emphasized the importance of staging such narratives during Pride Month: 'We are living in a time where people are finally feeling empowered to own their identities, and Cock doesn't shy away from the discomfort or the beauty of that journey. It's messy, human, and real. That's what drew me to it." The actor-producer also sees this project as a vehicle for change: 'Pride Month is a celebration, yes—but it's also a reminder that visibility, inclusion, and acceptance are still ongoing battles. With this play, we aim to honour queer experiences and give them the stage they have long deserved." Currently in pre-production, Cock marks a significant leap in Shweta Tripathi's evolution—not just as a performer, but as a creative force shaping conversations around identity and inclusion. As she transitions into this new chapter of storytelling, Shweta is not just making a return—she's making a statement. First Published: May 31, 2025, 17:59 IST
India Gazette
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- India Gazette
Shweta Tripathi to produce queer drama, details inside
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], May 30 (ANI): Actor Shweta Tripathi is excited to make her debut as a theatre producer with the staging of the play 'Cock'. As per a press note, the play's premiere show will be held on June 6 in Delhi at Max Muller Bhavan and June 10 in Mumbai at Prithvi Theatre to commemorate Pride Month. Written by British playwright Mike Bartlett, and being directed by Manish Gandhi - Cock is 'an explosive, emotionally charged drama that delves into themes of identity, sexuality, and the fluidity of love.' On turning producer for the drama, Shweta said, 'Theatre has always been my first love. It's raw, immediate, and leaves no space to hide--from the audience or from the truth. Producing a play like Cock is a personal and creative decision born out of my belief that storytelling should reflect the world in all its complexity and beauty.' 'We are living in a time where people are finally feeling empowered to own their identities, and Cock doesn't shy away from the discomfort or the beauty of that journey. It's messy, human, and real. That's what drew me to it. I want to be part of stories that make you uncomfortable in the best way--stories that spark conversations, empathy, and perhaps even change,' she added. The play has roped in actors Rytasha Rathore, Tanmay Dhanania, Sahir Mehta, and Harssh Singh. (ANI)
Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Shweta Tripathi returns to theatre as a producer with a queer play: I wanted to be a part of this pride celebration
Actor Shweta Tripathi is currently engrossed in her production ventures. Earlier this year, she had announced delving into film production to us, and now she is returning to theatre in the same role. She is reviving the Oliver award-winning play Cock, and she insists it is an ode from her to the LGBTQIA+ community. The play tells the story of a man, who is in a relationship with a man, but while they are together, he falls in love with a woman. Shweta Tripathi shares, 'I recognise myself an ally and I am drawn towards stories that are from the queer community. It's because the community stands for love, equality and freedom. You fall in love with a person, who that person is, not what they are. I wanted to be a part of this pride celebration because we are also celebrating individuality, which we are losing, and it bothers me. If by being a producer, I can give that love and support to my cast and crew, and help them being seen, why not?' Recently, a play titled Samaaj got banned from its showing in Jaipur citing it to be "unsuitable for public staging" as it told a queer lover story. Ask her about how the news impacted her and she says, 'Bahut bura lagta hai kyunki pyaar to baantna chahiye, and that story was about love. The difference between us humans and AI is EQ and empathy, and hum wo hi hataye ja rahe hain. Humko takleef kis cheez se hai, uspe discussions and conversations bahut zaruri hain. We need to have communication and understand each other even if we come from different backgrounds. That is the need of the hour as life is not black and white, it's colourful and we should enjoy all the colours. So, it feels bad when such restrictions are put in place, kyunki pehle samjho to.' Shweta's play will be shown in Mumbai during the Pride Month, but does it scare her as a producer that the play might face the same fate if it travels? 'We are just hoping that there is no opposition. As artiste, our job is to keep trying and we will do that. We want to tell stories, but our aim is not to hurt anybody. Ours is a love story, which happens to be about queer people. This story can be about anybody as we are all human beings. So, we want people to support us as I can't do anything alone,' she insists. Talking of queer representation, Shweta says that it is improving in Hindi cinema today, but insists that it will still take more time to get normalised. 'It's not just about the community but about understanding each other on a more spiritual level. There needs to be more people from the community in everything, and it will take time. We can hope for it, but the change won't happen overnight. We need to be more accepting as people. The change first needs to be brought in at an individual level, then only it will spread to a community level,' she says. Many people call out the industry for token representation of the community on screen at times, but the actor agrees that even that is necessary. 'It's because if you do it suddenly, it will come out as you are doing it just to be cool or just to fit in. You need to imbibe it in the audience's mind gradually. But token representation should improve and evolve with time, and if it is happening that way, it's all fine. And no change is big or small,' she ends.
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Bodies, clothes, bags lie on ground after stampede at mass Hindu gathering in India
By Saurabh Sharma LUCKNOW, India (Reuters) - Bodies, clothes and bags lay scattered on the ground after a deadly stampede at the world's largest gathering of humanity, the Maha Kumbh Mela in northern India, on one of the most auspicious days in Hinduism. Witnesses described a mass of people rushing to take a pre-dawn dip at the confluence of the three sacred rivers - the Ganga, the Yamuna, and the mythical, invisible Saraswati, at Prayagraj, which Hindus believe absolves them of all sins and frees them from the circle of life and death. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. An unnamed official said at least seven people had died and dozens more had been injured in the stampede that took place in the early hours of Wednesday. But there was no confirmation of deaths or injuries from the local government, more than 12 hours after the incident. "We saw people falling, lying one above another and crushing others to find a safe place. As we went ahead, we saw clothes, bodies of people, their bags, clothes and other belongings littered around," Shweta Tripathi, a resident of Sant Kabir Nagar in Uttar Pradesh, told Reuters. "It all happened so fast that I couldn't process it and started crying. Luckily none from my group was hurt and we are all safe," she said. She saw a child and his relative crying next to bodies of their loved ones. "I don't think I am coming ever again," she said. The Maha Kumbh Mela is the world's largest congregation of humanity, attracting some 400 million people over its six weeks. By comparison, the Haj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia drew 1.8 million last year. By Tuesday nearly 200 million people had attended the 2025 festival since it started two weeks ago. Visuals showed distressed attendees searching for their belongings amid piles of bags, clothes and water bottles thrown around. Some people were seen walking with containers carrying the holy water from the rivers. Abhishek Kumar, who said he also attended the Mela with a few of his relatives saw people falling because of the crowd that surged to take a dip. "Some people were returning after taking a dip and others were rushing towards the river. There was absolutely no co-ordination between the two crowds," he told ABP news channel. "Some of the women in our group were old and they tripped and fell. People walked over them in their hurry to get out," he said. Kumar said it took him and others more than an hour to get to the makeshift hospital near the site of the festival because of the surging crowds. "From what we could tell, the women we brought here were not breathing, but we don't know for sure. We just picked them up on our shoulders and ran."
