Sweta Keswani says Priyanka Chopra made it big but didn’t lift others and Mindy Kaling did what she wouldn’t

Highlights:

• Sweta Keswani said Priyanka Chopra hasn’t helped other south Asians in Hollywood
• Compared her to Mindy Kaling, calling Mindy a true community builder
• Said south Asian circles in Hollywood are full of “cliques”
• Will next appear in Law & Order: SVU episode in the US

Actor Sweta Keswani has said Priyanka Chopra’s Hollywood rise has been remarkable but not community-driven. In an interview with India Today, the Kahaani Ghar Ghar Ki star said Priyanka is “only helping herself” and drew a sharp contrast with The Office creator Mindy Kaling, calling Mindy the one “actually writing, producing, and helping south Asians.”

Sweta Keswani sparks debate with her remarks on Priyanka Chopra and South Asian representation in Hollywood Getty Images

Why Sweta Keswani called out Priyanka Chopra

Speaking from New York, Sweta didn’t hold back. “I think it’s incredible what she’s (Priyanka) accomplished, there’s no two ways about that,” she said. “But she’s not Mindy Kaling. She’s not helping other south Asians. She’s only helping herself to be very honest.” She added that Kaling has gone beyond personal fame. “What Mindy Kaling does is amazing because she’s actually writing, producing and helping other south Asians to break through in the business, which is so hard as it is for women of colour.”

Sweta Keswani says Priyanka Chopra hasn’t helped other South Asians, praises Mindy Kaling for creating real opportunitiesGetty Images

On south Asian circles in Hollywood

Sweta also spoke about the insider culture among south Asians working in the West. “There are cliques just like everywhere. Certain people like certain people, will call certain people, and they'll be cliques,” she said. “Unfortunately, I'm not in any south Asian cliques.” She added that motherhood and distance from LA’s social scene kept her from networking early on. “Now my child is older, she’s almost 12, it’s getting easier. But yeah, there are cliques, everybody has cliques.”

Sweta Keswani’s career so far

Sweta has been working in the US for over a decade. She’s appeared in New Amsterdam, The Blacklist, Roar, Nos4a2, As They Made Us, and The Beanie Bubble. Her next appearance will be in Law & Order: SVU alongside Mariska Hargitay. She also mentioned she’s now turning producer with a new project titled Tabassum, penned by a south Asian writer.

Priyanka Chopra’s Hollywood journey continues

Priyanka, on the other hand, shows no signs of slowing down in Hollywood. She began with Quantico, followed by Baywatch, Isn’t It Romantic?, The Matrix Resurrections, and Love Again. Her most recent film, Heads of State, saw her star opposite Idris Elba and John Cena. Next up, she’ll appear in Frank E Flowers’s The Bluff as a 19th-century Caribbean pirate and in SS Rajamouli’s globe-trotting adventure with Mahesh Babu.

The comparison between Chopra and Kaling may keep stirring talk, one leading from the front, the other building space behind the scenes. Sweta’s remarks just put that divide in sharper light.