For as long as her memory supports her, Shweta Tripathi recalls her father often asking her two questions. “The first would be, ‘Which book are you reading?’ And the other, ‘Did you exercise today?’ Because I wouldn’t do both, I’d often get annoyed with the questions. Even when I shifted to Mumbai in my 20s, the questions he’d ask never changed. It’s only now that I understand their importance. The two most crucial things that you should focus on are your mental and physical fitness. They go hand in hand, after all,” says the actor, whose social media pages are now peppered with videos of her jumping atop boxes, lifting weights, and performing a range of balancing drills.

It wasn’t until the lockdown was imposed in 2020 that Tripathi, who achieved acclaim for her portrayal of a gangster in the series, Mirzapur, adopted a healthy lifestyle. Egged on by her actor-husband Chaitanya Sharma, she initially exercised at her building gym and subsequently turned to trainer Tridev Pandey when restrictions were lifted. “Tridev addresses your individual needs, which made training with him enjoyable. For the first time in my life, I look forward to the next class,” says the actor, who practises resistance training with Pandey, and yoga when he isn’t available. “I’m reaping the benefits of both forms because each is important and serves a different purpose.”