Loved-up couple under quarantine, actor Shweta Tripathi and singer SlowCheeta, talk about their new ready-to-devour projects
Aastha Atray Banan (MID-DAY; August 30, 2020)

Shweta Tripathi and SlowCheeta, aka Chaitnya Sharma, realised early in the Coronavirus lockdown that social media trends weren't to be followed. "I tried to make the fancy coffee everybody was making online, and Chaitnya got sick after having it. So, we decided not to try anything trendy, just keep ourselves happy," the actor tells us over the phone.

Well, it would make sense, as the couple has enough to keep themselves busy. SlowCheeta has just released his three-track rap EP, and Tripathi will be back with Mirzapur's season 2, which is set to release in October. Before that, sci-fi movie Cargo releases on September 9. "We even shot all of the Voot series The Gone Game, in the house! I shot Shweta, and we were working all day long. So, it's been a productive time," says SlowCheeta, as Tripathi adds, "It was very different, as we are very vocal about each other's work, and when he said, he liked a scene, I was over the moon. The highlight of this phase has been spending time with my husband. Otherwise, when I return from a shoot, he's usually leaving for one."

SlowCheeta's EP presents the view of an upper middle-class man dealing with his set of problems. In a world where we are accustomed to recognizing rap as a "gully" sound, his take is refreshing. The melodies are catchy, his voice ear candy, and the lyrics speak of challenges he faced when growing up. "The three songs are about asking the listener to come share my journey. Rap has risen from the streets, but street or skyscraper, we all have our problems."

Tripathi, on the other hand, is the unsuspecting cutie on screen who can handle intense roles with ease. Most recently, she was the most palatable character on Netflix dud Raat Akeli Hai. But what viewers are looking forward to is Cargo, which director Arati Kadav had described to this writer in an interview in March as "a movie about life on Pushpak 634A, where a demon works for the Post Death Transition services, and with the help of a female astronaut, gets dead people ready to be recycled for rebirth". "Everything Arati does is not of this world, and that itself is exciting. I also love working with first-time directors, who bring great energy on set. Every little detail is looked into. We are competing with shows from all over the world. If you don't like it, switch it off. The audience has a lot of say now about what content works."

While work has slowly begun to take everyone out of home, the couple wishes they can spend more time with each other.

SlowCheeta says, "We are hopeless romantics. And we have so much to talk about all the time. The spectrum of conversation can get strangely widespread. A simple, 'how was your day?' question can set off an interesting chat. We love that."

Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; March 30, 2019)

After playing Murad Ahmed in Zoya Akhtar’s recently released Gully Boy, the coming-of-age story of a rapper from Dharavi, Ranveer Singh has taken his love for music a notch higher by launching an independent music record label with filmmaker Navzar Eranee, who he described as his “best friend, soul, life, guide and big brother”.

Ranveer revealed that they’d discussed the idea in Amsterdam three years ago and had got Anushka Manchanda and Shikhar Manchanda on board as their music heads. Insisting that rap and hip-hop are the biggest things happening in Indian music today, he says he wants to support new talent that deserves to be seen and heard and is on every street of our country. “I have nothing against the remix culture—my biggest song ('Aankh Marey' from Simmba ) is one—but it has to co-exist with original music,” he asserted, introducing his first three artistes, Gully Boy co-actor SlowCheeta aka Chaitnya Sharma, Spitfire who penned and composed “Asli Hip Hop” and Kaam Bhaari whose first single “Zeher” was launched at the event. Navzar revealed that the latter remained in the top three, as the list narrowed from 1500 to 11 while Ranveer performed with the rapper on the song.

When asked if they will work with actor-singers Alia Bhatt, Salman Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Ranveer said, “My wife is also a very beautiful singer but she only sings for me.” Deepika Padukone, who was away shooting for her first production, Chhapaak, wished him on social media.

When asked when one would get to hear him, Ranveer said, “At the moment I am endorsing these sparkling new talents, but I do have something to say and have a lot of pent up angst that I want to let out. At the right time I will express myself on a beat and it will be ‘very hard.’ There are some people out there who have it coming,” he warned.
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Ranveer Singh on why he launched a music label to discover hip-hop artistes
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; March 30, 2019)

Every alley of this country is filled with people, bursting with talent, who need a platform to showcase their work," says Ranveer Singh, who launched his label IncInk - which stands for inclusive and independent music - yesterday. Well-aware of how rank newcomers struggle to find a footing in the industry, the actor says that the label is an attempt to bring new musicians to the fore.

"Being an outsider in the industry, my endeavour is to support new talent that deserves to be heard. Anyone interested can contact us on social media, and we will connect with them. We have deliberately kept the process simple. We are hoping to bring firebrand and authentic musicians on board," states Singh, who launched the record's first single, Zeher by KaamBhaari.

The label's emphasis on hip-hop comes from Singh's affinity for the genre. Acknowledging that his last release Gully Boy put the spotlight on Indian hip-hop, which was until then relegated to the fringes, the actor adds, "Gully Boy has been a shot in the arm for Hindustani hip-hop. But this label intends to take it forward and develop it further.

Navzar [Eranee, business partner] and I have been working on this since 2016. This label is an extension of me and is a celebration of arts and artistes. Music has always been fuel for me, and I have a deep-rooted love for hip-hop and electronic music." Eranee adds that they are on the lookout for female rappers as well. "We are surveying a few names."

No sangeet or reception for Shweta Tripathi and Chaitnya Sharma, who wed on June 29, but a pyjama party and lots of dancing over three days; honeymoon in August in Europe
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; June 20, 2018)

In April, Masaan actress Shweta Tripathi got engaged to actor-rapper boyfriend of five years, Chaitnya Sharma aka SlowCheeta. The couple will tie the knot in Goa on June 29. Shweta admits that she had butterflies in her stomach till a week ago but now with all the prep done she is in a happy space. Cheeta too is relaxed, saying, “Jo hoga dekha jayega.”

They will not be having a sangeet ceremony or a reception as too many of their common friends got married this year and they are bored of the usual rituals. “We want our guests to have a really good time so there will be a mehendi, followed by a party on June 27 for colleagues and friends who won’t be able to make it to Goa. The wedding will lead to a pool and pyjama party on June 30,” informs Cheeta, adding that while they won’t be shaking a leg on a choreographed number, there will be a lot of dancing over three days with him taking over the DJ console at some point.

Shweta adds that they have danced at so many functions earlier that she now wants family and friends to perform for her and is expecting them to spring a few surprises. “We have a team handling the prep but I keep video-chatting with my parents who live in Delhi about bindis, bangles and the colours of our clothes,” admits the actress who will be wearing a Sonam and Paras Modi-designed sharara for the mehendi, her wedding lehenga is by Shubhika Davda and she will don a floor-length, Rebecca Dewan dress for the pool party. Cheeta is wearing a Shantanu and Nikhil outfit for the party on June 27 and a sherwani designed by Kunal Rawal for the wedding.

Cheeta and Shweta met when they replaced two other actors in The Interview, a play directed by Akarsh Khurana. They didn’t interact much during the play, but got talking about their common passion — diving — when seated next to each other on the flight back home. “Films are also a big part of our lives and we’re also fond of travelling, music and food, with biryani being our most favourite on cheat days,” informs the bride-to-be.

She starts shooting for a TV show five days after the wedding and will be gone for a month, so they are looking at August now for the honeymoon and will head to Europe. “One of our closest friends got married last year and we joined them on the last leg of their honeymoon in Madrid where we saw a Madrid vs Barcelona football match. So, we plan to end our honeymoon with a football match in Manchester,” says Cheeta, adding that Italy and France are also on the cards.

Shweta is sure life won’t change much after marriage with a supportive partner like Cheeta and families who want her to continue working. “I always wanted to be an actor and I won’t put an expiry date on that dream just because I am getting married. Your life can change after marriage, but your identity shouldn’t,” she asserts.

Masaan actress Shweta Tripathi gushes about her nuptials with beau of five years, Chaitnya Sharma aka SlowCheeta, on June 29 in Goa
Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 13, 2018)

Shweta Tripathi, Masaan actress and daughter of Delhi’s former Chief Secretary P K Tripathi, is set to tie the knot with her boyfriend of five years, actor-rapper Chaitnya Sharma aka SlowCheeta, on June 29 in Goa. The intimate ceremony will have only the couple’s families and “closest friends” in attendance. “Since I am from Delhi and Cheeta is from Mumbai, I didn’t want to get married in either city and both of us absolutely love Goa. The wedding is going to be one big party with only the main wedding because I think brides worry too much about getting ready and that leaves them with no time for fun. And my plan is to have lots of fun,” the bride-to-be exclaimed.

While SlowCheeta is five years younger than his 32-year-old-bride-to-be, Shweta says that he towers over her at a little over six feet and that makes up for the age gap. “A commercial I featured in was playing on TV and one of Cheeta’s friends told his father, ‘This is your son’s girlfriend’. Cheeta’s dad asked, ‘Isn’t she too young?’”, Shweta recalled.

Meanwhile, SlowCheeta’s latest song “Kripya Dhaan De” features in Akarsh Khurana’s upcoming Sumeet Vyas-starrer High Jack. The 27-year-old singer-songwriter is also one of the four rappers to have collaborated with Ranveer Singh for a single in Zoya Akhtar’s Gully Boy. Two of his songs, one of which is with Papon, feature in the Irrfan Khan, Dulquer Salmaan-starrer Karwaan, also directed by Akarsh. “Akarsh has played a big role in our love story,” Shweta gushed.

Turns out, SlowCheeta and Shweta were stepping in for two actors in The Interview, a play directed by Akarsh, when they first hit it off. “I had heard of him through mutual friends. We didn’t talk much during the play but I happened to sit next to him on our flight back. It was at 5am and I had wanted to sleep but Cheeta and I got talking. Both of us are certified divers and he told me stories of being underwater, he even faked a couple of them which I came to know about much later, but I was impressed,” Shweta reminisced, adding that they instantly connected and when she bid him farewell at the airport, she knew she wanted to meet him again.

Their first fight was just as filmy as their meet-cute. “Cheeta is a die-hard Shah Rukh Khan fan and was arguing with me over something I said about his idol. That fight made us realise how badly we wanted to be with each other. I’m marrying my best friend,” Shweta said emotionally, harking back to the time when she teared up during Cheeta’s elaborate proposal with a poetic monologue.

The singer also surprised her by tattooing her name in Hindi on the side of his wrist. “As actors, you go through a lot of ups and downs in your career, with no guarantee of where your next paycheck will come from. Even at my lowest, Cheeta has been by my side, supportive and cheering me up,” Shweta signed off with a smile.