Rinki Shares Her Offscreen Bond With Sachiv Ji, And This Will Melt Your Heart

Since its premiere during the COVID lockdown, “Panchayat” on Prime Video has set the benchmark of what a perfect web series should be. Currently, in its third season, the series has captured the attention of a primarily urban audience despite its rustic setting in the fictional village of Phulera in Uttar Pradesh. While the first season concentrated on a young man from the city adjusting to village life, the second season added additional nuance and complexity.

However, the third season seems to take every theme to extremes. After its May 28 release on Amazon Prime, the third season has once again captivated the public’s interest. The episodes in this season are split into two sections. First are Sachiv Ji’s attempts to rebuild his reputation in Phulera. Another is the changing political climate in the village.

The season includes a number of gripping tales, including the political struggle between Phulera West and East, an old widow looking for a better place for her family to live, and Prahlad’s grief at his son’s martyrdom. However, the developing relationship between Rinki and Sachiv Ji takes center stage.

As a welcome diversion from the contemporary dating culture, fans have embraced this new, slowly-moving love story. Memes and fan pages for the program are all over social media. Though they have great chemistry on screen, Jitendra Kumar and Sanvikaa have a friendly and commendable relationship off-screen.

 

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How are Jitendra and Sanvikaa off-screen with each other?

Sanvikaa, also known as Rinki, discussed in a recent interview how her relationship with Jitendra Kumar changed from season two to season three.

Speaking to the Indian Express, she shared that her favorite co-star is Jitendra Kumar. She said that they didn’t really talk much throughout the first few days of filming. Before, all they would do was practice, rehearse, and then return to their individual vanity trailers. But in season three, Sanvikaa took the lead in discourse, while Jitendra would just reply.

Despite their limited off-screen interactions, Sanvikaa claimed that since Jitendra has been in the majority of her scenes, the two of them undoubtedly have a certain understanding. She was quoted saying,

“We don’t talk because he’s very shy and so was I in the beginning. We used to practice our scenes, rehearse the lines, and then go and perform. In Season 3, I used to initiate conversation and he would respond to that.”

When Sanvikaa received applause from her director

Sanvikaa stated in the same interview that she has begun to get approached for various roles after Panchayat. She added that producers are now able to perceive her in a different manner.

However, Sanvikaa, at first felt intimidated by the presence of multiple senior actors. After being introduced in Season 2, Sanvikaa joined a cast that already included well-known actors like Neena Gupta, Raghubir Yadav, Jitendra Kumar, and Faisal Malik. But in season three, as she became more accustomed to the cast, her performance blossomed. As a result, she received praise and recognition even from the Panchayat director himself.

Speaking about her early shyness, Sanvikaa talked of being surrounded by a talented group of seniors. She said,

“In Season 2, it was a little difficult for me, not in terms of getting along with the actors, but in terms of performance. I used to be intimidated by the senior actors who were all very good. But in Season 3, it became comfortable for me and we have grown as a family. The bond has become stronger. The more you work on your craft, the better you become.”

Sanvikaa claims that whereas the previous season of Panchayat was filled with “scolding,” she only received praise from her directors and fellow actors in Season 3. She said,

“In Season 3, I got so many compliments from different people. My director, Deepak Kumar Mishra, was very happy. In Season 2, I got little scoldings from him in some scenes where I was not able to perform. While he didn’t say anything while we were shooting this season, he commented on the edit table, ‘This time you have performed so well. You made me proud.’ Apart from that, all the actors appreciated my work. Now, I feel like I am on the right track.”

Sanvikaa’s want for diverse rather than stereotypical characters.

Additionally, Sanvikaa asks authors and casting directors to cast her without regard to stereotypes. She said,

“The kind of roles that I’m getting now are definitely better than earlier. As I was skinny and dusky, I would be offered only a certain kind of role — of a person belonging to the middle class. Now, I really don’t mind playing a middle-class or a lower-middle-class person but at the same time, they should also experiment with other characters.”

She added,

“After Panchayat, I am getting different roles, but also a majority of them are from that background only. So I really want to say to casting directors, please, you can audition me for different roles as well. I have a very character face — I can play a rich person, a lawyer, a police officer… I can do different things.”

As the series evolves from season 1 to 3, Sanvikaa’s character has also evolved. From having a cameo in season 1, Rinki has evolved to become an important part in the series. It will be interesting to see how her character evolves in upcoming seasons.