Who Is ‘Dehati Madam’? The UP Woman Whose Videos Caught Priyanka Chopra’s Attention

A simple video recorded while working on a farm has brought Uttar Pradesh content creator Yashoda Lodhi into the spotlight. Popularly known as ‘English with Dehati Madam’, she received a special shout-out from actor Priyanka Chopra Jonas, who shared one of her videos on Instagram Stories and said it had “touched my heart.”For Yashoda, the recognition was deeply personal. She later posted a video thanking Priyanka, describing the gesture as a moment she would cherish. Her journey from a rural village to reaching a growing online audience has struck a chord with people across the country.When One Small Effort Gets NoticedYashoda revealed that her husband had scolded her for recording the farm video, but she continued with her efforts and posted it anyway. She was surprised when Priyanka shared it, especially because she does not own a television at home and does not closely follow celebrities.The shout-out gave her work a significant boost. The Times of India reported that her Instagram following crossed 583,000, while her YouTube channel grew to more than 400,000 subscribers. Priyanka was not the only celebrity to notice her content. Actors Mrunal Thakur, Abhay Deol and R. Madhavan have also shown appreciation for her videos.How She Turned English Into an OpportunityYashoda hails from Lodhan Ka Purwa in Uttar Pradesh’s Kaushambi district. When she was about a year old, her paternal aunt and uncle, who had no children of their own, took her to Ludhiana, Punjab, where she grew up. She completed her formal education up to Class 12.Yashoda’s journey was far from conventional. Having studied until Class 12, she had to give up plans for further education because of financial difficulties in her family. She had no formal training in teaching English and initially experimented with motivational content and vlogging before finding her calling.As shared in an interview with F5 Storytellers, she began watching English-speaking videos and practising by listening and imitating others. After around 15 days of listening practice, she launched her YouTube channel on December 26, 2023, and began creating videos in her own style.Her aim was to make spoken English simple and accessible, particularly for people from rural and Hindi-speaking backgrounds. Instead of complicated lessons, she focuses on everyday conversations and useful phrases that viewers can practise in real life.‘Dehati’ Is Her Identity, Not a LimitationYashoda’s path also involved personal challenges. Her husband suffered serious injuries in an accident in 2019 and remained bedridden for several months. Around the same period, their wheat crop caught fire, adding to the family’s difficulties.Despite these setbacks, she started creating content. She embraces the name ‘Dehati Madam’ as a way of representing rural communities and showing that learning and ambition are not limited by educational qualifications or background.Priyanka’s shout-out may have brought Yashoda wider recognition, but her journey reflects something bigger: the courage to keep trying even when others doubt you. Her journey is a reminder that you do not need perfect English, a fancy degree or everyone’s approval to begin. Sometimes, all it takes is the courage to take the first step and the determination to keep going.