Kathmandu- Actress Swastima Khadka (born 4 July 1995) is a Nepalese actress who predominantly works in Nepali cinema. She has appeared in Love Love Love (2017), Chhakka Panja 2 (2017), Nai Nabhannu La 5 (2018), and Bulbul (2019). Khadka debuted as an actress in the 2015 teen romance Hostel Returns, for which she was nominated for the National Film Awards for Best Supporting Actress. In 2017, Khadka appeared in the social drama film Chhakka Panja 2. That same year, Khadka starred in the drama film Bulbul. The film was selected as the Nepalese entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 92nd Academy Awards, but it was not nominated. She has been married to Nischal Basnet since 2016.
Personal and early life Swastima Khadka was born on 4 July 1995 in Kathmandu, Nepal.She completed her School Leaving Certificate (SLC) from Birendra Sainik Awasiya Mahavidyalaya, Bhaktapur.[1] Khadka holds a three-year diploma in architectural engineering from the Thapathali Campus. At the age of 17, she participated in the Nepali national beauty pageant Miss Teen Nepal.[3][4] She told The Nepali Man that Miss Nepal was "a bit far-fetched for her" and described the experience as "a stepping stone" for her.[3] On 14 December 2015, Khadka and film director Nischal Basnet became engaged in the presence of close relatives.[5] They married on 17 February 2016, in a private ceremony held at Kathmandu.
Career 2015–2017: Film debut In 2015, Khadka debuted as a film actress in Suraj Bhusal's Hostel Returns, where she starred alongside Sushil Shrestha, Najir Hussain, and Sunil Rawal.
In the film, she played Alina, who is in a love triangle with two boys in her school. For Hostel Returns, she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress in the National Film Awards.For her second film, she appeared in Dipendra K. Khanal's romantic-drama Love Love Love (2017)
where she portrayed Samriddhi, a girl whose childhood friend's love for her is not reciprocated.[9] Her portrayal of Samriddhi was praised by critics, and The Himalayan Times wrote, "Khadka's act is appealing. Her body language, gestures and dialogue delivery are brilliant."
Khadka also made a guest appearance in "Kutu Ma Kutu" (2017).Her appearance in the song was praised by audiences and critics. The reviewer for Nepali Sansar wrote, "Swastima Khadka danced gracefully to this catchy Nepali number. Her sweet smile and performance will flash before us every time we listen to Kutu Ma Kutu".
The song became the first Nepali music video to reach 200 million views on YouTube. Later in 2017, Khadka appeared in Deepa Shree Niraula's social drama film Chhakka Panja 2. In the film, she plays Akansha, a student who wants to travel to Australia to study but struggles with the International English Language Testing System exam required to enter the country.
Chhakka Panja 2 earned around 60 million Nepalese rupees within the first six days of release and went on to become the second highest-grossing Nepali film.
When asked about her experience working with the cast members of Chhakka Panja 2, Khadka said, "Ah, I got to learn a lot! They have already been in the field for more than 20 years; they obviously know a lot more than I do. And not only did I learn stuff about movies while working with them, but also understand other areas like dealing with the media, interacting with them everything! I admit, I get overshadowed by them sometimes but then, rather than a disadvantage, I like to think of it as an advantage to stay in the sideline and absorb what I can from them. After all, they are the superstars!".
