Panchayat, over its last three seasons, has become one of those shows that bring a smile to our face. It has the same effect on Neena Gupta too. But the actor, who plays Manju Devi, one of the central characters in the dramedy, says that she was surprised by how the humour had been upped in the fourth season. “This season has amazing humour. There are certain sequences in which all of us actors would start laughing while performing,” she chuckles.

The Prime Video dramedy also stars Raghubir Yadav, Jitendra Kumar, and Sunita Rajwar, among others. Gupta is among the senior cast members, and enjoys immense respect from her co-stars. Does she dole out advice to her younger co-actors, considering she has a rich four-decade career behind her? She knows better than doing that. The actor explains, “These days, everyone’s ego is so [inflated] that you have to think a hundred times before you say something to someone. They don’t like it. I had a couple of such experiences [outside of the show]. Once, I said something in a friendly manner to another actor. That person took off on me. I was in tears.”

(From left) Jitendra Kumar, Neena Gupta, and Raghubir Yadav in Panchayat. Pics/AFP, Instagram