Neena Gupta reflects on Manju Devi’s empowering journey in ‘Panchayat’

Veteran actress Neena Gupta, who talked about her character Manju Devi’s evolution in Prime Video’s ‘Panchayat’, said that through the series, she’s glad she could show that if women want to take charge and lead, they absolutely can.

“My growth with ‘Panchayat’ really began in Season 1, especially during the flag hoisting scene - that was Manju Devi’s turning point. In most villages, women are often okay with not knowing or learning certain things, but what I loved about my character was that she decided to break that pattern,” she shared.

Gupta added, “She slowly became more firm, more curious and eventually more independent. And that kind of change doesn’t happen overnight - in real life, it’s a slow process.”

She further said that the concept of Pradhanpati still exists in many parts of the country. Neena said: “Through this series, I’m so glad we could show that if women want to take charge and lead, they absolutely can.”

Sunita Rajwar, who plays Kranti Dev, said essaying the character has always been a fascinating experience for her. “What drew me to her character was how she stands tall, not just beside her husband, but as an equal. She’s not just a housewife from a village - she thinks and reacts like any empowered woman would, no matter where she comes from.”

That strength and equality in her relationship really stood out for Sunita. “I’ve truly loved embodying this side of her. And when you get close to a character like this, you start relating to them in your own life, too. At the end of the day, we’re all human - we all carry a bit of innocence within us.”

“It’s not just the audience who connects with the character - the actor does too. I feel genuinely happy and grateful to play her,” she added.

The fourth instalment of the series stars Jitendra Kumar, Neena Gupta, Raghubir Yadav, Faisal Malik, Chandan Roy, Sanvikaa, Durgesh Kumar, Sunita Rajwar and Pankaj Jha.

Produced by ‘The Viral Fever’, ‘Panchayat’ season 4 is created by Deepak Kumar Mishra and Chandan Kumar, written by Chandan Kumar, and directed by Deepak Kumar Mishra and Akshat Vijaywargiya. It will stream on ‘Prime Video’ from June 24.