In ‘Panchayat 3’ Jagmohan’s mother said – now people look back, there is a competition among people to get their photos clicked

In the web series ‘Panchayat 3’, Jagmohan’s mother may not have got a house, but the series has definitely given her a place at the age of 75. This character has been played by Abha Sharma of Lalkuan. From the corridors of social media to the streets and intersections and every home, ‘Amma’ is being talked about. People have memorized her dialogues ‘Bas andar se man achha nahi lag raha’ and ‘Aawas mil to jayega na Sachiv ji’. Abha Sharma, who has previously appeared with Parineeti Chopra in ‘Ishqzaade’, will also be seen sharing the screen with Sanjay Mishra in the future.

I thought the Secretary had a breathing problem
Theatre artist Anurag Shukla is my tenant. he/she was the one who told me about this series. However, initially I was not ready to work in it. I thought it would be a simple story but when he/she told me the story, I immediately agreed. he/she also prepared my audition and sent it. During the shoot, when there was a break, two-three girls would come and fan Sachiv ji (Jitendra Kumar). I thought he/she had some respiratory disease, due to which he/she was being given oxygen. Then when he/she was sitting in the room, even then I saw that those girls were fanning him/her. Then I could not resist. Finally, I asked him/her, do you have a respiratory disease? ‘Secretary ji’ first got nervous, then he/she said no, this is a part of makeup.

The atmosphere on our set was great

It is a little difficult to work in the heat but if one is dedicated to some work then a passion comes automatically. The only good artist is one who immerses himself in his/her work. No matter what the weather is. The atmosphere on our set was very good. Everyone respected my age. Actually, all the artists were good but I got along well with Kalyani who played my daughter-in-law and Bhushan (Durgesh Kumar). Director Deepak Mishra also supported me a lot. I called him/her on the day of release. I also meet Prahlad (Faisal Malik) whenever he/she comes to Lucknow.

Everybody asks, ‘How did you get there?’

After seeing me in the series, the people of the locality are very happy. So many people are coming to meet me that sometimes I get tired. Most of the people are asking this,
‘Hey, how did you reach there?’ I had gone to Janeshwar Mishra Park a few days ago. Anurag was telling me to see how many people will meet you. As soon as we reached there, as we were entering the gate, people started looking back. Then slowly there was a rush of people to get their photos clicked. A lady said – We cannot believe that Amma, you are the one, please say one dialogue. Then as soon as I said – I am not feeling good from inside, everyone started laughing loudly.

I have done theatre for five years

I did theatre from 2008 to 2013, during which time I got a bank advertisement. Later the same director gave me a chance in ‘Hajayani’. I did theatre only to pass time because I used to get bored staying alone at home. Then when I had health problems, I had to take a break from theatre. I never refused any work. Be it films or drama. I was fond of acting since childhood. Acting was a game in my friend circle. Sometimes we used to imitate a character after watching films and sometimes we used to play a character from Ramayana-Mahabharata. Meena Kumari was my favourite actress. Her melodious voice and style of speaking dialogues was amazing. I also liked Guru Dutt and Raj Kapoor sahab a lot. Even today when I watch their films, I get lost somewhere.

Thousands of people are sending messages every day

I have done my Bombay Art Diploma. After that I worked as an art teacher at many places. Now I am not able to paint because my hands shake. She says laughingly, ‘I have come to know that if I sit down to paint a girl, I end up turning into an old woman by mistake. Apart from painting, I am fond of cooking. I also like cleanliness but I am a little lazy. ‘Amma’ is getting different reactions on social media as well. Memes are being made of her dialogues. She tells that Anurag is handling my Instagram. he/she has also created my account. Every day I get messages from thousands of people. I have been using Facebook for a long time. Now I am slowly learning to use it as well. Last year in November, I shot for Sanjay Mishra’s film Durlabh Prasad’s second marriage in Banaras. In this, I have played the role of Bahubali’s mother.

I love acting very much

In the series, she has played the character of Damyanti Devi, who tries to get housing for her son Jagmohan and daughter-in-law. Today everyone is praising the acting of ‘Amma’ but in real life her life has been full of ups and downs. She tells that at the age of 35, I had an infection in my gums, due to which all the teeth were lost. After this, many other problems also happened but I did not lose courage. During the shooting also, I had some pain in my leg but I was so engrossed in my work that I did not feel any kind of pain. This is also because I love acting immensely. Even in the future, whenever I do any work, I will put my heart and soul into it. Be it a film or a web series, if the story is good and touches my heart, then I would definitely want to be a part of it.