Nearly 13 years after theatre brought them together, actor-producer Shweta Tripathi (40) and husband, actor-rapper Chaitanya Sharma aka Slow Cheetah (35), are returning to the stage as co-actors. The couple first met and fell in love while practising theatre in 2013, and will now be seen together in the play External Affairs.

And it is a full-circle moment for Shweta. She recalls, “When we met, there was an instant connection. We were on a flight back from Delhi after our first show together, and by the end of that flight, I knew I wanted this person in my life.”

In the play, the two portray a couple navigating the early stages of a relationship, taking them back to the emotions of their own dating days.

“Our love today is another level of soulmate love; we don’t remember our own first date anymore,” says Shweta, adding rehearsals are helping them “tap back into that energy”.

Sharing the rehearsal room with Chaitanya, she says, has been creatively rewarding: “We are each other’s biggest cheerleaders and fans. He’s one of the hardest-working and disciplined people I know.”

For Shweta, who will next be seen in Mirzapur: The Movie, theatre is irreplaceable: “Live performances are special because the audience is breathing with you.”