Sweta Keswani says Mariska Hargitay has Amitabh Bachchan energy, talks about working in Law & Order SVU | Interview

In an exclusive conversation with Hindustan Times, Sweta Keswani talked about her experience working on Law & Order SVU.

From charming Indian television audiences with her memorable roles in shows like Baa Bahoo Aur Baby and Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii to carving out a steady career in the US entertainment industry, Sweta Keswani’s journey has been one of quiet perseverance and passion. Fifteen years after moving to America, she continues to make her mark, this time with her appearance in the iconic Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (SVU).

Sweta Keswani talks about Mariska Hargitay having Amitabh Bachchan-like energy.

In an exclusive chat, Sweta opened up about landing the role, working with Mariska Hargitay, and why “simple doesn’t mean easy” in Hollywood. She also talked about making her way in the industry while getting stereotypical roles because she is Indian.

“Simple doesn’t make it easy”, Sweta on working her way up in Hollywood

“This is just one episode, but I have been constantly working since I moved here 15 years ago,” Sweta began. “I’ve just been honing my craft, meeting people and giving auditions. That’s how this business works here. I’ve just been doing my job, and then what you get is what you get. It’s just that simple. And yet, it’s not easy. Simple doesn’t make it easy," she said.

Breaking stereotypes and finding a refreshing script

Talking about her Law & Order: SVU episode, Sweta says she was instantly drawn to the script. “When I taped for it, it sounded very interesting even though I get a lot of Atypical, stereotypical roles because I’m Indian and have an accent. So, I often get roles like doctors, lawyers, or tech people. But this was different; she actually had emotions, and she was worried about her clinic that was getting blown up. I really liked that. When they told me they loved my tape, I was very excited to do it, so I said yes.”

On playing ‘dead’ and bonding with Mariska Hargitay

Sweta laughed while recalling her on-set experience. “They did scenes in reverse order, so first, I was dead, and then they did my scene. I was lying on the ground playing dead when Mariska said, ‘You’re doing a great job.’ I didn’t say anything, but later I asked her, ‘Was that a compliment or were you messing with me? or f**king with me.’ She burst out laughing and said, ‘I at least wait a day before I mess with people and then she corrected herself and said, ‘Oh, at least an hour before I f**k with people.’ She was really funny."

The ice broke instantly between the two. “Any kind of creative work, especially something like this, is pure collaboration between me, her, and the director. Mariska would say, ‘Hey, can you be a little louder here?’ and I’d say, ‘Of course!’ The director would tell me something, and I’d say, ‘I got you.’ We were all on the same page, and that’s how you land the scene every time. It was high stakes, streets were blocked, a hundred people were around, so you have to deliver every single time,” she said.

“So even if I did it maybe 6-8 times, I had to land it each time. It was an emotional scene, so at one point, she (Marishka) said Can I get a little more? I said to Mariska, ‘I am going to burn out.' The director said that the camera is on my back, and then she said, ‘oh ya ya, in that case, do only that much that you don’t burn out.’ Because if it’s an emotional scene and you keep doing it, then you burn out. So she totally got it. She was amazing to work with and very chill,” Sweta said warmly.

Sweta Keswani feels Mariska Hargitay has Amitabh Bachchan energy

She added, "When I met Mariska, I was like ‘you are more magnetic in person’. She totally has this Amitabh Bachchan energy, and she wouldn’t understand that when I told her that, so I didn’t. But she is the only second person I have met in my life who has that energy. Apart from Bachchan saab, whom I met many years ago, when Sakshi Tanwar and all the Kahaani Ghar Ghar Ki people got to hang out with him, and he was such a sweetheart. So, Mariska completely had that energy. I haven’t met anybody like that after Bachchan saab, and especially not a woman. She is the only woman after Bachchan saab who has that energy. And I have met a lot of people like Rekha, Shah Rukh Khan, but Mariska has that energy that you feel like there’s a dynamo."

Sweta on true professionalism

Recalling her long hours on set, Sweta shares, “By the time the shot came, it was 9 p.m. I knew shoots usually end by 9:30 because of the 12-hour work limit, so I decided not to get up from the floor. My director asked if I wanted water or to sit up, but I said no — my hair continuity would be ruined. They were surprised, but I told them that if continuity breaks, we’ll go into a lot of overtime. I’ve been doing this for 37 years; I understand my job. Acting isn’t just about the character, it’s about the technicalities too.”

She highlighted how the show was shot with good teamwork and said, “One of the crew members even cut a yoga mat and slid it under my back because I was lying on the concrete floor for so long. It was so sweet. Everyone knew their job; it was such a well-oiled machine. It made it easy for me to just be me.”

On navigating stereotypical roles in Hollywood

Sweta said, "When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade, right? It’s as simple as that. Because I am still trying to establish myself, I take what I get. It’s not like I have a choice with what I am offered. But I am trying to make my own stuff right now. I have two short films coming out and two features I am working on. I am just taking it slow and steady and doing my best, and then see what happens. It’s not easy for anybody. I mean, forget being a woman, it’s not easy for even people who live here and are born and raised here. It wasn’t easy for the Latin population or Italians. It’s not easy for anybody. Business is not kind to anybody. It would be very stupid of me to say, ‘Oh, I have it hard’."