Panchayat’s Amma ji never got married: took care of the house after her father’s death; started acting at the age of 54
Abha Sharma has played the role of Amma ji (Damayanti Devi) in ‘Panchayat Season 3’. 75-year-old Abha Sharma told during an interview how difficult her acting career has been. She told that she was fond of acting since childhood, but she got the opportunity to fulfill it at the age of 54. During a conversation with Indian Express, Abha told that she was the youngest in her family. After her father’s death, Abha took up a job in a telecom company and she stayed at home to take care of her mother. That is why she did not even get married. She did a diploma from J.J. School of Arts and started working as a teacher from 1979. Abha’s mother did not want her to act. Abha listened to her mother and did not think about acting. She said that her family was educated but was also orthodox. But after her mother’s death, Abha started acting again. This time her siblings also supported her. Abha got her first break in TV in 2009. She was very nervous but when the director praised her, her fear was completely gone. After this, she got work in Arjun Kapoor and Parineeti Chopra starrer film ‘Ishaqzaade’. How did she get work in Panchayat Abha was called for a role in the 2010 film ‘Peepli Live’. It was here that she met ‘Panchayat’ actor Raghubir Yadav for the first time. Due to sudden deterioration in health, she could not work in this film and this role went to someone else. She told that after Covid, Anurag Shukla, who had done theatre with her, asked her to shoot an audition video for ‘Panchayat’. Abha got the role in ‘Panchayat’. She told that all her co-stars, director and the rest of the crew cooperated a lot. In the scorching heat of Madhya Pradesh. Regarding the shoot, Abha said, ‘It was definitely very hot there and I felt it in some of my shots, but I was ready to complete my shoot. I really enjoyed this experience.’ The director of Panchayat had praised Abha. There is a scene in ‘Panchayat 3’ in which Amma ji takes medicine. Abha did this scene so real that the director thought that she had really taken the medicine. After the scene was over, the director asked Abha, did you really take the medicine? To this Abha said – No I did not take the medicine, here is your medicine. Abha really enjoyed working with the people of this series.