Shweta Tiwari says work is worship: ‘Even if I have to eat non-veg while I’m on fast, I’ll do it’

Shweta Tiwari says she prioritises work above all else. “Even if I have to eat non-vegetarian on the day of my fast, I will do it,” she says.

After almost two decades of working on the small screen, actor Shweta Tiwari still calls television her first love. Therefore, it comes as no surprise when she says being tagged as a “TV actor” doesn’t bother her at all. “It has given me everything — name, fame and identity, and people still call me Prerna of Kasautii... I couldn’t have asked for anything better,” she smiles.

Shweta Tiwari has been working in the television industry nearly two decades.

At a time when many actors look down on the medium for its regressive content and have moved on to try their luck in films and web shows, Shweta says she can never quit TV. “Some actors consider TV to be a smaller medium but that’s wrong as times have changed and it is a much bigger medium now.”

She admits that somewhere the content on TV is still regressive and “it needs to tell stories that are relatable and portray characters in a more progressive way”.

While the 39-year-old has also made her presence felt in the digital space with her show Hum Tum And Them, she says she still gets labelled for her unconventional choices.

“People also questioned my choices, especially when I played a prostitute in Begusarai. And even my web show, which required me to do bold scenes, raised many eyebrows,” she continues, “But as an actor, it is my job. Work is worship, and even if I have to eat non-vegetarian on the day of my fast, I will do it.”