“Vidya is a mixture of all the mothers I have observed in my life”: Sneha Wagh opens up about role on COLORS’ ‘Mahadev & Sons’

COLORS’ ‘Mahadev & Sons’ continues to strike an emotional chord with viewers through its portrayal of family, love, pride, and generational conflict. Set in the sacred town of Hardoi, the show unfolds a powerful narrative where relationships are tested not by the absence of love, but by its excess. At the heart of this story stands Vidya, played by Sneha Wagh, a woman whose resilience becomes the glue holding a fractured family together. Sneha opens up about bringing to life a character driven by compassion rather than control, the strength of motherhood, and why Vidya feels like a reflection of countless Indian women we see every day.

1. Tell us about Mahadev & Sons.
A. Mahadev & Sons is a family drama premised on emotional inheritance. Set in Hardoi, it follows Mahadev, an orphan who enters the powerful Bajpai household as a servant and rises, against all odds, to become a respected businessman. His love marriage to Vidya challenges class, tradition, and ego – and the price they pay is brutal. Both are cut off from the Bajpai family and forced to rebuild a life together under the shadow of old wounds. The show explores how love, when mixed with fear and pride, can become controlling, and whether compassion has the power to heal what generations of resentment have broken.

2. Tell us about your character.
A. Vidya is the emotional backbone of Mahadev & Sons. She doesn’t dominate spaces or assert authority loudly, yet her presence runs through every relationship in the house. She understands something very profound – that anything in excess, even love, can slowly turn into poison. That’s why she doesn’t resent her sister Bhanu for the grudge she holds against her husband. She knows that it comes from a place of love turned bitter. That awareness makes her measured, empathetic, and grounded. She chooses balance over reaction, compassion over control – that is her soft power. She had the courage to stand up for her love when it mattered, even when it meant losing her home, her family, her surname, and her inheritance. She believes in love, but she also understands its responsibility. Her conviction continues to guide her every decision.

3. What does Vidya’s world look like?
A. Vidya’s universe begins and ends with her husband and her children. For her, happiness is simple – a shared meal, a peaceful home, children who feel emotionally safe. She lives a life stripped of excess, and that reflects in her appearance, too. Slipping into Vidya’s look is instinctive for me – just a sari, mangalsutra, bangles, and a bindi.

4. The patriarch Mahadev takes the reins of the household. How does that affect Vidya’s role in the house?
A. While Mahadev is the patriarch, Vidya is the emotional anchor of the household. She knows how every relationship functions, when to intervene, and when silence will do more than words. She has to navigate new boundaries and changing loyalties without letting the family collapse. That balancing act is both delicate and powerful. She is constantly trying to broker peace – not just within her home, but also between the Bajpai family and her sasural, which stands right across the street. She lives at the intersection of love and resentment, past and present. Vidya believes control destroys families, while compassion sustains them. She absorbs pain so others don’t have to carry it. That emotional labour often goes unseen, but it is what keeps the family standing. She chooses to hold, not break—even when it costs her deeply.

5. How did you prepare for this role?
A. Vidya is a mixture of all the mothers I have observed in my life. These are women who love fiercely, absorb pain silently, soften conflicts, and hold families together with grace. These qualities are rooted in Indian households, which is why Vidya feels so real. The love audiences have shown for her has been incredibly fulfilling; it tells me they recognise her. Vidya represents countless women who run households without applause or acknowledgement. She is gentle, but never weak; emotional, but never fragile. Her strength lies in loving and protecting her family without controlling them.

6. What would you like to say to the viewers?
A. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for the love you’ve shown to Mahadev & Sons. As actors, we live for these moments – when a story travels beyond the screen and finds a place in people’s hearts. I hope you continue to see Vidya’s compassion, her strength, and her intent to keep the family together. We’ve poured our hearts into this show, and I hope you keep watching and embracing it with the same warmth you’ve given us so far.

Watch ‘Mahadev & Sons’ Monday to Friday at 9:30 pm, only on COLORS and JioHotstar.