Biography
Sweta Keswani was raised in Mumbai, India. She's known for The Beanie Bubble (2023), New Amsterdam (2021), As They Made Us (2022), Roar (2022), NOS4A2 (2019), The Blacklist (2013) and more.
She got several nominations and notoriety in India from the popular Indian Television series Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii (Star Plus 2000-2008), Des Mein Niklla Hoga Chand (Star Plus 2001-2003) and Ba Bahu aur Baby (Star Plus 2006-2009). She currently lives in New York, has been married to Ken Andino since 2012 and was blessed with a daughter in 2013.
She started her stint with acting in second grade where she played Goldilocks (In Goldilocks and the 3 bears) in a school play. And then got back at it quite unexpectedly during college, with a recurring role in the popular Television series called Tara (Zee TV 1997) the first ever Indian soap on a contemporary Indian woman.
This soon led to other memorable roles in well known Television series like Abhimaan ( Doordarhshan/National TV 1999), Aashirvaad (Zee TV 1998), Trikaal (Home TV 1996) and Nazdeeikiyan (Sony Tv 2006) the first ever Multi-Cam series of its kind in India with sets designed especially for the same.
She continued to act in numerous other Television series over the years that got her critical acclaim. Such as CID (Sony TV 1998-2018 the longest running Series in India) where she was seen in her first double role as herself and her brother. Adaalat (An award winning crime drama on Sony TV) where she was seen regularly as the Prosecuting lawyer and Films such as Love in Nepal (2004) with Sonu Nigam, Gas Station on The Express way (DVD Release 2007) with Milind Gunaji, The Memsahib ( 2006 Amazon Prime) as Parveen Dabbas's sister ( Monsoon Wedding fame), Bin Bulaye Baarati (2011) with legendary comedians Rajpal Yadav, Vijay Raaz ( Monsoon Wedding fame), Shakti Kapoor and others.
She hosted several Game, Variety and Man on the street shows along the years on several Big Networks in India. Many of these are mentioned on her website and some in IMDB credits. Sweta was also seen doing dare devil acts in a celebrity special episode of Fear Factor India where she made the final 2 contestants. A thrill seeker by nature she has sky dived in Mauritius from 10,000 feet and bamboo rafted in rivers in Koh-Chang, Thailand.
She is a trained Classical Indian Kathak Dancer from the Sangeet Mahabharti School in Mumbai and the Shiamak Davar Dance academy Jazz School. And then learned Kathak privately for several years with her guru Surrender Kaur. Even though she never pursued it professionally she was invited to dance Live for Popular Indian Telly Awards due to her notoriety and she enjoyed those opportunities tremendously.
Indian audiences loved her in the Prime Time Dance Reality show equivalent to "Dancing with the stars' here called Nach Baliye Season 3 ( Star Plus 2007 ) Where she made it to the Top 4 Finalists.
But her one true passion has always been telling stories.
She became a household name after stereotype shattering performances in the popular prime time drama Des Mein Nikla Hoga Chand followed by her completely different role/avatar in the comedy Ba Bahu aur Baby as a fireball Punjabi daughter in law. Both were on Star Plus and won her tremendous critical acclaim. She feels her best role to date in India was the latter of Gudiya and getting the opportunity to work with the amazing Hat's Off Production ( Khichdi, Sarabhai Vs Sarabhai fame) known for their unmatched comedies on Indian telly alongside award-winning accomplished actors Deven Bhojani, Sarita Joshi and others.
"Being able to create a fun author backed character with such a talented team, watching it grow and take shape in a beautifully written dynamic script day after day was a dream come true."- Sweta
After the devastating Mumbai Floods in 2005 in which Sweta lost her Designer and friend, she wrote and produced a play called "Fragile" that starred herself, the unforgettable late Tom Alter and Mona Ambegaonkar. It had a limited engagement in several theaters in Mumbai and was very well received. She traveled with several other comedy plays with the well known Theatre producer Ashwin Gidwani whenever her TV schedule permitted.
She moved to New York in 2010 and has continued to hone her craft ever since by working with several different acting schools like the Stella Adler Academy whose philosophy 'Growth as an actor and growth as a human being are synonymous' deeply resonates with her.
Sweta continues to train with different coaches and casting directors like Matt Newton, Dave Bobb and Erica Palgon to name a few, in NYC virtually and in person while she raises her precocious bi-racial daughter. She is constantly in a class be it Improv at The Pit or NYC's Stage Combat.
She is a Board of director with the local 'Rivers Edge Theatre company' in Westchester NY where she lives, whose mission is to reflect the human experience, spark conversation and inspire social change. And has been a part of several of their productions since the pandemic.
Sweta is also collaborating with American producers Jane Applegate (To Keep the Light, Kettle of Fish) and Alice Look (Numerous Documentaries and specials for Netflix, History Channel and Lifetime) on a Docu-Series called 'Remarkable Women - Out of the Shadows' (Tentative Title) whose mission is to share stories to inspire women to live courageously. A legacy project that she believes will be gift for her daughter and other impressionable girls around the world.
