TVF seems to be harboring the secret magic formula for creating shows that feel like a warm hug. The same confusing feeling inhabits the third season of Panchayat, TVF’s social comedy series that began in 2020. The new season features beautiful writing, nuanced performances and, to my surprise, a more realistic portrayal of rural India, which It surpasses the already high bar in that Panchayat bar. set in its previous two seasons. It will make you smile, cry, laugh, contemplate and probably Google Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana!
What sets this season apart is that the rose colored glasses are coming out this time. The protagonists still share the warm camaraderie, but we can discover their tumultuous individual arcs, along with their emotional baggage and crises, leaving room for a paradigm shift. Political rivalries intensify, and their consequences become more threatening. If I had to give it straight, Panchayat season three bursts several bright bubbles of utopian fantasy and gives hard-hitting reality checks.
Sanvikaa’s story arc gets more screen time compared to previous seasons
We see Prahalad Chacha (Faisal Malik) turning to alcoholism to cope with the pain, Vikas (Chandan Roy) bearing the fear of financial burden in silence, Abhishek (Jitendra Kumar) trying to ignite his obvious attachment with Phulera and Brij Bhushan Dubey ( Raghubir Yadav) facing humiliation from all enemies on the political front and slips back home.
At different points in the season, you will feel sorry for each of them, but most of all for Prahalad, who is visibly crushed under the pain of losing his son. Something has changed inside him forever, and Malik’s brilliant performance embodies that loss. There’s a scene in the third episode where he shows someone the disastrous condition of his house, littered with dirt, empty bottles, and scattered dreams, so they understand the importance of having a family, and the two shed tears in complete silence. The scene has been sensitively written and is bound to leave you teary-eyed. In a similar stimulation sequence, he offers a considerable amount to help build a road in Phulera so that Pradhan Ji wins the elections and also simply because “What is a purposeless man with so much money?”
As the episodes progress, you will severely miss the quartet’s ‘Baithak’ sessions, when life used to seem so much simpler over a couple of drinks. The emotional beats of the story make the handful of such light-hearted yet satisfying scenes even more impactful than in previous seasons. Through the interpersonal relationships of its characters, the show made me think about the friends I have involuntarily lost touch with.
This season, we see more of the slow-burn romance between Rinki (Sanvikaa) and Abhishek. There’s a lot of talking, shy smiles, wordplay, and awkwardness. Fortunately, both Jitendra and Sanvikaa have delivered good performances without resorting to typical Bollywood melodrama, cheesy dialogues, violins and flowy chiffon sarees.
Raghubir Yadav and Neena Gupta have also given excellent performances this season
Apart from the expected stellar performances from the main cast, the one who stole the show for me was Jagmohan’s grandmother, played by Abha Sharma. Such a tasty performance! She brings some refreshments every time she’s on screen. From his on-point accent and playful expressions to the mischief in his body language, Sharma has performed the role beautifully and managed to reflect the essence of the typical ‘dadis’ of Uttar Pradesh.
In the eight episodes, we meet many such colorful characters. Some familiar faces, including the boyfriend who appears in the first season and his evil friend, also make brief appearances. Despite so many arcs, the series doesn’t feel overstuffed, and each episode unfolds in the show’s signature slow-burn style.
The makers have done an impressive job with design, props and costumes.
What I especially loved was the production design for the set. It is relatively rare for Indian cinema and television landscape to portray rural regions authentically. Common representations are often clouded by a romantic vision of villages, full of objective inaccuracies in the name of creative freedom. And yet, Panchayat has not only managed to do so, but has even surpassed its previous two seasons in context. The showrunners have managed to bridge the wide gap between commercial and art cinema. From real homes and everyday items to real local brands and the snacks served at celebrations, Phulera’s representation is beyond impressive. The rigorous work that must have been put in to achieve a faithful representation of interior India is evident.
If you watch the show carefully, you will even find many visual metaphors and gags. For example, when accusations are fired at Pradhan Ji, you will find him losing control of his gentle buffalo. And Abhishek always spills his tea just when things are about to take a twisted turn. Or Vidhayak, who has been accused of murdering and then eating a dog (yes, we know it’s gross!), has paintings and pieces of camels subtly placed in his living room.
Best of all is a scene where two enraged groups confront each other, ready to take on the other with batons, weapons, or whatever they can get their hands on. An official is trying to pacify the agitated crowd. Just when things are about to explode, a loud phone call flies in “Sara Jahan Se Achcha” when her ringtone interrupts the proceedings.
Bhushan tries to take advantage of the enmity between Pradhan Ji and Vidhayak in this season
While I loved the show otherwise, I’m a little worried about the slight change in the overall tone of the series, with more political rumor taking center stage this time around. We met with other elected members of the Panchayat; There are many election pranks, official meetings and more. Even Uttar Pradesh’s infamous gun culture has made the cut.
While this change isn’t too far-fetched and doesn’t overshadow the narrative, future seasons could also bring more political drama to the forefront, as hinted at in the finale’s cliffhanger. I hope that even if the show takes on more political shading, raw emotional appeal and genuine portrayal of nuanced interpersonal relationships, Panchayat’s strongest suit since it began, it is not compromised.
All eight episodes of Panchayat are now available to stream on Prime Video.
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