Panchayat's Sanvikaa reveals DECLINING a kissing scene with Jitendra Kumar in the show: 'He is a very..'

Actor Sanvikaa, known for her role as Rinki in Panchayat, spoke about her hesitation around filming an on-screen kiss in the show’s fourth season. The series, which returned on June 24 on Amazon Prime Video, introduced a moment of physical closeness between her character and Jitendra Kumar’s, something that was not part of the original script discussed with her.

Speaking to Just Too Filmy, Sanvikaa explained that the idea for a kissing scene was brought to her after the initial narration. It came up when director Akshat shared that the team wanted to include a kiss between the two characters. She did not agree right away and asked for time to think about it.

"Earlier, the scene was different. Both of them are in the car, she falls down, and then they kiss. Then I thought that Panchayat has all kinds of audiences, but mostly family people. I was worried about how people would react, and I was also not comfortable. So I refused at that time. But when we were shooting, they removed that scene, but they inserted the tank scene, which happened a day before. They said that we will not show it in a bad way, and shoot it in an aesthetic way. But when we were shooting, it felt awkward."

Earlier, the scene was different. Both of them are in the car, she falls down, and then they kiss. Then I thought that Panchayat has all kinds of audiences, but mostly family people. I was worried about how people would react, and I was also not comfortable. So I refused at that time.

- Sanvikaa

She said she eventually declined the original version of the scene due to discomfort. The revised scene was shot in a different context, with less directness.

"But Jeetu (Jitendra Kumar) is a very nice person. He makes you feel comfortable. Till now, there has been no talk with the family about this. But they understand me a lot, they will deal with it."

Sanvikaa clarified that the final version was suggestive and not explicit.

"It wasn't like we actually kissed-kissed," she said, adding that the approach reminded her of older Hindi films that used metaphors like two flowers touching to suggest intimacy.