After becoming a household name in India with shows like Baa Bahu Aur Baby and Kahaani Ghar Ghar Ki, Sweta Keswani restarted her acting journey in the US. While she acknowledges the limited and stereotypical roles for South Asians, she’s grateful that her characters have had emotional depth
Sweta Keswani in ‘Law & Order: Special Victims Unit’; (right) Sweta Keswani in ‘New Amsterdam’. Pics/Instagram
Sweta Keswani never had to stand in lines or audition for roles. She became a household name in India after Baa Bahu Aur Baby, Kahaani Ghar Ghar Ki, and Des Mein Nikla Hoga Chand. But fate has a funny way of showing up and testing you. In 2012, she shifted base to the US. And thus began the actor’s true hustle, that is going on even after 15 years. “It’s not easy anywhere,” she says, adding that her journey has been all about starting over. “When people come from LA to New York, they have to start from scratch. So, if I’m coming over continents, obviously, I have to start from scratch.”
With effort and perseverance, Keswani managed to feature in small but pivotal parts. She debuted in Hollywood with The Blacklist, appeared in New Amsterdam, and recently featured in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. “Even though it wasn’t a long role, every scene has an arc. Every scene moves the story forward.” She played Dr Ila Mukherjee, a doctor who runs her own fertility clinic. She was also seen in As They Made Us (2022), and The Bennie Bubble (2023).
Despite the stereotypical representation of Indians, Keswani has seen some improvement, though there is still a long way to go. “You’re pitted against Koreans, Chinese, African Americans, Latinos, South Asians… thousands audition, and one gets picked. It’s not easy for people of colour here because the roles are limited. They want to feed these stereotypes because they think that’s what’s believable for the masses. There are so many like me who have stories here, but they don’t want to show that. Very few people like Mindy Kaling or Madhuri Shekar are creating space for us,” she says. Most of her roles have been “pretty stereotypical — doctors, FBI officers, tech people,” she admits. “But luckily, the stereotypes I played were meaningful. They had feelings, emotions, and arcs.”
While Keswani doesn’t miss India; family, friends, and authentic Indian food are things that tug at her heart. Yet, she wouldn’t give up her newfound drive, and discipline for anything. “There I was complacent, here I’m disciplined. I wake up at 6.30am, run a house, take care of my child, and still act, produce, and create. I wouldn’t trade that growth for anything.”
Up next
Sweta Keswani is producing a project titled ‘Tabassum’, and set to feature in ‘Drowning’, in which she plays a lesbian mother. “It’s about a white woman who’s drowning in responsibilities, and I play her friend,” she explains. She also has the short film, ‘The Spark’.
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