Fans’ love has made Mirzapur the “biggest series of the country”, believes actor Shweta Tripathi Sharma, according to whom, expectations have only raised the stakes for the upcoming third season of the Uttar Pradesh-set crime thriller on Prime Video.

Shweta plays Gajgamini 'Golu' Gupta, an idealist bookworm who transforms into a woman seeking revenge in the second season of the show, which stars Pankaj Tripathi, Ali Fazal and Divyenndu Sharma in pivotal roles.

Shweta, known for acclaimed films such as Masaan and Haraamkhor, shot to nationwide fame with Mirzapur.

The 37-year-old actress said she was anxious before she began shooting for the show's Season 3, which went on floors earlier this month.

“More than pressure, it's a responsibility... I'd like to say I don't take pressure, but before Mirzapur 3 shoot started, I was going crazy,” said Shweta.

“It was because of the love people have for the show which has made it the biggest series of the country. So you're aware of the expectations they have,” she added.

Produced by Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar under Excel Entertainment, the first season of Mirzapur was released in 2018 followed by season two in 2020.

The hype around the show is on a level that everyone around her has an opinion about its twists and turns, said the actress.

“Before the shoot, even my manager had inputs about Golu — she won't do this, or she'd behave like that, or the show should be... Everyone has a strong opinion, they love it so much! That's the fun and the challenging part for season three,” she added.

The crime drama features a stellar ensemble cast featuring Rasika Dugal, Amit Sial, Anjum Sharma, Sheeba Chaddha, Manu Rishi Chadha and Rajesh Tailang.

Shweta said before the show's latest season started production, every cast member was “scared” about reprising their roles.

“Ali, Rasika, all of us were so scared. To get into the same character... Season one happened five years ago, so to go back to the essence of Golu, I have to make sure I do that. Sure the character has evolved, has shades, but the core of it is still there,” she added.

The challenge about returning for season three was to “unlearn”, said the actress.

“I was a different person five years ago. Now I know more, but in Golu's life (on the show) just six months have passed since she was introduced. That's quite challenging because you've to unlearn. You might have become wiser, but your character is just a 22-year-old, who couldn't finish college,” she added.