Interview: Actor-director Swati Semwal talks about her latest short film, Kirdaar

Drawing instances from her own life, Swati has released a short film, Kirdaar, which is based on an actor’s life.
Swati Semwal
Swati Semwal

Actor Swati Semwal has always given importance to depth of a story and choosing to do substantial roles. She has featured as Kriti Sanon’s friend Rama in Bareilly Ki Barfi, and a role opposite Rajkummar Rao in Fanney Khan. The bar is not lowered when she is directing her documentaries and short film either. “I want to be a part of good films with strong content, in front of the camera or behind. Even as an actor, I took my time to choose roles because I don’t want to waste my potential, even if I’m in one scene,” says the Mumbai-based artiste.  

Drawing instances from her own life, Swati has released a short film, Kirdaar, which is based on an actor’s life. “Every actor has his own way of getting into a character. Some believe in method acting, while others are mostly spontaneous. Kirdaar is based on a similar idea — to what extent does a theatre personality go, in order to prep for a role, and how it affects his relationships and people around him,” shares Swati. Popular casting director and filmmaker Mukesh Chhabra plays the protagonist in the short film. “Mukesh has watched my previous short films and was interested in working with me. My idea of having a casting director on board was to bring a fresh perspective from someone who meets and watches several actors perform every day,” she adds.  

While she enjoys acting, Swati makes it clear that her passion lies in direction. Her short films Abnormal (based on LGBTQ theme) and Sameera (a love story of a Muslim girl) have won quite a few awards including best short film at My Mumbai International Short Film Festival. “Although I’m interested in taking up roles that attract me, my focus is on making more documentaries and feature films. I’ve written about 15 short films, five of which have been released. I’m looking forward to releasing the others this year,” she says. 
 
Available on YouTube.

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