Kathmandu
What was actress Swastima Khadka’s first acting project? Many would answer the film Hostel Returns.
However, she had already acted in the popular television comedy series Bhadragol before that.
Hostel Returns was released in cinemas on 21 August 2015. But the 66th episode of Bhadragol, featuring Swastima, had already been broadcast on Nepal Television on 14 February the same year.
Director Shankar Acharya said Swastima was cast for an episode based on a Valentine’s Day storyline. “Jigree-Pande had found and brought her at that time,” Acharya said. “Since it was not a continuous role, her appearance was brief.”
In the Valentine’s Day-themed episode, Swastima appears alongside Sagar Lamsal ‘Bale’. The episode was filmed in Mudkhu Bhanjyang, north of Kathmandu.
Swastima’s name, however, is not mentioned in the episode credits.
Based on available information, Swastima’s debut acting performance was in Bhadragol, while Hostel Returns is her debut film. In her decade-long career, Swastima has acted in more than 20 films.
