Sweta Keswani is an Indian actress, dancer, and model. She rose to fame after starring in films, TV commercials and TV shows like Abhimaan, Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii, and Des Mein Niklla Hoga Chand.
Wiki/Biography
Sweta Keswani was born on Tuesday, 19 August 1980 (age 42 years; as of 2022) in Delhi. She was raised in Mumbai. Sweta graduated in Commerce from Shrimati Mithibai Motiram Kundnani College of Commerce & Economics, Mumbai. When Sweta was studying in school, she started learning Kathak which she continued for 6 years at Sangit Mahabharati Institute, Mumbai. Sweta also got dance training in Jazz from Shiamak Davar. She moved to New York in 2011.
A childhood picture of Sweta Keswani
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 5′ 5″
Weight (approx.): 55 kg
Hair Colour: Brown
Eye Colour: Dark Brown
Figure Measurements (approx.): 32-30-32
Family
Parents & Siblings
Sweta Keswani has a mother named Shakun Keswani. Her father’s name is Suresh Keswani (deceased).
Sweta Keswani along with her parents and husband
Husband & Children
Sweta married Ken Andino on 28 December 2011 and together they had a daughter named Issy in 2013.
Sweta Keswani and her husband Ken Andino
Sweta Keswani’s family picture
Relationships/Affairs
Sweta Keswani married Alexx O’Nell in 2008 but later divorced in 2011. She then dated Ken Adino for some time before they got married.
A wedding picture of Sweta Keswani and Alexx O’Nell from 2008
Religious Views
Sweta Keswani is a Soka Gakkai Buddhist and a leader in the SGI Buddhist community.
Career
Television
TV series
Sweta Keswani made her first acting debut in the Indian TV show ‘Abhimaan’ (1999) as Dolly Tyagi/Dolly Naresh Sehgal. She rose to fame after playing a negative role in ‘Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii’ (20001-2003) as Avantika Ajay Agarwal and the lead role in the Star Plus series ‘Baa Bahoo Aur Baby’ (2007-2010) as Gudiya Thakkar.
Shweta Kawaatra (left) and Sweta Keswani (right) in a still from the TV serial ‘Kahanii Ghar Ghar Kii’
Gudiya Thakkar in Hindi TV serial ‘Baa Bahu Aur Baby’
She was cast to play the role of Anu Khurana, an obsessive lover, in the series ‘Des Mein Niklla Hoga Chand’ from the year 2001 to 2004.
Sweta Keswani played a negative role in the series ‘Des Mein Nikla Hoga Chand’
Sweta then played the character of Monica in the horror Hindi TV series ‘Raat Hone Ko Hai’ in episode 47. In 2007, she appeared as Indu on the crime TV series ‘CID’ in Episode 457 which was titled The Case of the Dangerous Lady. She then worked in a Hindi TV series called Adaatlat as an Advocate.
Sweta Keswani in TV series ‘Adaalat’ as an Advocate Aarti Keswani
In 2022, Sweta Keswani made an appearance in the American drama/comedy TV series called ‘Roar’ to play the role of a woman named Pushpa. In 2017, Sweta Keswani was cast in NBC’s crime thriller ‘The Blacklist’ to play the character of Maura. She then appeared in another US drama TV series called The Amsterdam in 2021 as Soma Kulkarni.
Season 3 Episode 9; Sweta Keswani as Soma Kulkarni in a still from the TV series ‘New Amsterdam’
Sweta Keswani was cast in the supernatural thriller American TV series ‘NOS4A2’ to play the role of an FBI agent.
Sweta Keswani appeared in the TV series ‘NOS4A2’ Season 2; Episode 204 and Episode 206 and Episode 208 as Chitra Surinam (Recurring FBI Agent)
Sweta Keswani played the role of Maura in the TV series ‘The Blacklist.’
The Blacklist; Episode 415- ‘Apothecary’; Sweta Keswani as Maura
Reality show
She participated with her then-husband Alexx O’Nell in Nach baliye season 3.
Contestants Sweta Keswani and Alexx O’Nell in Nach baliye season 3
Nach Baliye season 3; Sweta Keswani with Amita Chandekar Tiwari, Rakhi Sawant, Padmini Haldankar, and Kashmera Shah dressed up in traditional Indian attires for their performances
Host
In 2005, Sweta hosted the comedy show ‘Kyunki Yeh Hai Hasya Kavi Muqabala’ which was a huge hit overseas that aired on Smile TV (Zee TV in UAE, UK, and the US) followed by a talk show called ‘Bollywood Aur Kya’ which aired on the channel Sahara One.
A picture of Sweta Keswani during the comedy show ‘Hasya Kavi Muqabla’ from 2005
Sweta Keswani along with Shilpa Shetty and Shamita Shetty in the special episode of the talk show ‘Bollywood Aur Kya’ in 2005
Sweta also appeared in a Stand-Up comedy TV show ‘Arre Deewano Mujhe Pehchano’ which aired on StarPlus. In this show, she appeared in different get-ups and performed pranks on people.
Sweta Keswani in ‘Arre Deewano Mujhe Pehchano,’ a comedy show where she pulled pranks on people while wearing prosthetic makeup for disguise
Advertisements
Sweta Keswani appeared in many commercials for popular brands like Audi, Panasonic Televisions, Parachute hair oil, Wall’s Ice Cream, Pond’s, and Fanta.
Sweta Keswani in the Audi Q5 advertisement
In 2018, she gave her voice to the Metoo movement awareness film created by L’Oreal.
Sweta Keswani in the Metoo movement awareness film created by L’Oreal (2018)
Production
Sweta was cast to act in the award-winning American web series titled Struggle City. She was also a co-producer, and co-creator of its episodes, ‘Welcome to the Dirty Decade: Marie’s Paradigm Shifts,’ ‘The Magnificent Quadro: Pair Ups, Flair Ups, and Falls,’ ‘You Spin Me Right Round Mama Right Round: The Prisha Episode,’ ‘Down the Shitter: Chloe Grows a Set,’ ‘The Beginning of the End: Marie Cancels 30,’ and ‘Prisha Don’t Preach: Marie’s Keeping Her Baby?’
Theatre & Drama
Sweta played the character of Margaret Wilson, who is an assistant Vice Principal and former DA in the play titled Mrs. Petricone.
Sweta Keswani in a play called ‘Mrs.Petricone’ performed at the First Reformed Church in New York
Sweta played the role of a pastor of the Unitarian Congregation whose name is Emily, in a play called Kindness Committee.
Sweta Keswani in a still from the play called Kindness Committee
In 2021, Sweta was featured in two out of five plays of The Green Plays Project, an outdoor theatre event. The plays where she performed are called ‘A Window’ and ‘Lifeday.’
In graphics; Sweta Keswani during one of the plays by The Green Plays Project
Sweta performed in a comedy play called ‘Birthday Suite’ in 2010 which was shot in India.
Sweta Keswani (second last) in an animated poster of the play ‘Birthday Suite,’ a comedy of errors and colossal confusion revolving around two married couples, hotel staff, a suite and a birthday
In 2007, Sweta Keswani played the role of the protagonist’s wife in the play called Residence Visa.
Sweta Keswani in the character of Dilip’s wife in the play called Residence Visa which is a sequel of the play ‘Visit Visa’
Sweta Keswani wrote and acted in a play called ‘Fragile’ which was inspired by the loss of a woman, who was also her costume designer, due to the Mumbai floods in 2005.
Sweta Keswani with Tom Alter in the play ‘Fragile,’ which was written by Sweta herself
Model
In 2017, Sweta appeared in ‘The Sindhian’ magazine along with Paris Keswani.
Sweta Keswani and Paris Keswani on the cover of the magazine ‘The Sindhian’ (2017)
In 2005, Sweta Keswani was featured on the cover of GR8 Magazine cover along with the Indian Idol winner Abhijeet Sawant.
Front cover of the GR8 magazine featuring Sweta Keswani and Abhijeet Sawant
Sweta also posed for the multinational corporation IBM print advertisement.
My IBM print advt:#businesslook #printmodel: https://t.co/veJEUidjIa pic.twitter.com/7py57oWbJb
— Sweta Keswani (@SwetaKeswani1) December 27, 2015
Sweta Keswani has modelled for various magazines and designers.
Sweta Keswani during a photoshoot that she did for catalogues
Film
Bollywood
Sweta appeared in the film Gas Station On the Expressway in 2007.
Sweta Keswani on the cover of the Hindi film ‘Gas Station On the Expressway’ (2007)
Sweta’s remarkable work was in the film ‘Love In Nepal’ (2004).
Sweta Keswani on the banner of the film ‘Love in Nepal’ (2004)
Sweta was cast in the Hindi film ‘Chor Mandli’ to play the role of ‘Chanda.’
Sweta Keswani in Middle-Eastern theme dance from the film ‘Chor Mandli’
She worked in a romantic short film called Black Valentine and a short Hindi film called Back-Up (2013).
Sweta Keswani played the character of Dipti, who is a lost love of the lead in the short film ‘ Back Up’
HollywoodIn 2022, Sweta Keswani played the character of Dr. Patel who is a neurologist in the American drama film ‘As They Made Us.’ Sweta made her International film debut in the film ‘The Memsahib’ where she played the role of an Indian princess named Vinita.
Sweta Keswani (L) in the character of Vinita, an Indian princess, in the drama film ‘The Memsahib’ (2006)
Achievements
- The web series ‘Struggle City’ won the Award Of Excellence at Vegas Movie Awards-August 2020 Edition for the best web/TV series; which Sweta Keswani co-produced and co-created.
- Struggle City has also been nominated for Best Ensemble Cast (Comedic) and Outstanding trailer in 2021 at New Jersey Web Festival.
Favourites
- Beach: Playa Negra (Puerto Rico)
- Book: Harry Potter series
Facts/Trivia
- When Sweta Keswani was in 2nd standard, she acted in an adaption of the famous story ‘Goldilocks and the Three Bears.’
- Sweta has served as the Vice President of River’s Edge Theatre Co. in Westchester (NY) since 2020.
- Sweta Keswani was featured on the cover of a book called ‘On The Loop’
- In 2006, she helped spread awareness of the importance of the Hepatitis A vaccine.
- Sweta collaborated with various artists for raising AIDS awareness in 2007.
- Apart from her work, she likes to spend her time working out and getting TRX training
Sweta Keswani during her TRX training session
- Sweta likes to cook. She runs a youtube channel where she shares recipes of vegan and gluten-free drinks, salads, sandwiches etc.
- During Nach Baliye season-3, Sweta and her partner were in the top 4 finalists
- Sweta enjoys alcoholic beverages.
- Sweta calls herself Nemophilist (lover of forests) and a Hodophile (one who loves to travel).
- During an interview, while talking about the challenges Sweta faced when she moved to Hollywood projects, she said,
My long history on Indian television had no meaning there. It was hard to find a good representation and even harder to be seen by casting people. There weren’t enough roles being written for people of colour. Usually, there were just small stereotypical U5 as they are called -meaning under five lines,”