Phulera is a small village in Uttar Pradesh. There is no mechanics of the city, no rush. The web series ‘Panchayat’ is based on the story of Abhishek Tripathi, who joined the panchayat office as a secretary in the same village. In fact, it would be a mistake to say that this is the story of Abhishek Tripathi; Gradually, the stories of everyone in the village become involved in his life. In 2020, ‘Panchayat’ was released on Amazon Prime. During the lockdown, viewers swallowed the episodes, were amazed, and short dialogues like “Hi”, “Gajab Beijjati Hai” gained unprecedented popularity on social media.
TVF (The Viral Fever) is a familiar name to people who watch Indian web series. In 2014, they made the first Indian web series ‘Permanent Roommates’, which gave viewers a new taste after winning the hearts of viewers with funny videos on YouTube. This was followed by a wave of web series on platforms such as YouTube, Netflix, Prime and Hotstar. Some won the hearts, some won. Most series came up with a common problem. For the second seasons, the producers attempted to do a better job with a higher budget than before, but the increased expectations of the audience were watered down. TVF was not immune to this fault in the case of the first series. Fortunately, the recently released second season of Panchayat and the third season of Gullak have not disappointed the audience. The series has carefully embraced the storytelling that gained popularity in the first season and has surpassed the first season in some ways. In the first season, Abhishek Tripathi joined the panchayat job when he had no choice. Every time he spoke, he was angry, bored, and frustrated that there was no one to talk to. Later, in the words of the village chief, deputy chief and office assistant, he realized that these people were his new friends, his new family. In the second season, Tripathi’s behavior is somewhat different. He is not as depressed as he used to be. He is slowly preparing for his MBA but is increasingly embracing the slow life in the village. When I started the new episode, it seemed that the pace of the story was slower than before; It may be the director’s fault or wish I didn’t have as much fun in the first episode as I used to I thought maybe like many other web series, the panchayat is starting to collapse But the story started to climb from the second part and it reached its peak from the third part. The third episode is a highlight of the entire season. It is to their credit that the writers and directors have presented the serious issue of open defecation with a sense of humor that ultimately makes the audience think. The character changes towards the end of the final episode. It abandons humor and turns to tragedy. I was a little confused, thinking there was a need for an artificial surprise at the end of such a beautiful season. I soon realized my mistake. Some viewers may not find this melodrama in line with the main pace of the story, but the tears of the Deputy Chief will surely soak their hearts for a long time. In other episodes, several characters from or near the village also appear and help move the story forward. Bhushan or the wild demon who incites the villagers against the chief by finding fault with anything, the drunk driver of the anti-drug campaign, the power-drunk local MLA Chandra Prakash, his friend Siddharth, etc. The characters are like the tea shops you find along the way. As the visitors move towards their destination, it is as if they are enjoying a delicious cup of tea along the way, then rushing back after a while.
At the end of the first season, Rinki, the daughter of the village chief, faced Abhishek Tripathi (‘Sachibji’ to the villagers). Naturally, the audience was curious to see how this relationship develops and how far it goes. But in the second season, the relationship is surprisingly restrained. When you meet Rinki and Abhishek, the shy expressions on their faces, the slippage of their words, etc. are surprisingly normal. The audience is looking to see more, they aren’t showing it. New face Rinki (Sangvika) has less time to appear on the screen than the rest of the actors, but her chemistry with Sachibji is a highlight of the second season. The ‘hero’ Abhishek Tripathi has got as much time in the panchayat as the strong actor Raghubir Yadav in the role of Pradhan (actually Pradhan’s husband). He has shown the same emotion and dialogue magic he showed in the first season. This time he is also very angry from time to time, while his acting is very high. There is no need to reiterate the acting talent of Nina Gupta in the role of his wife Manju Devi (the real chief of the village). Manju Devi, who didn’t bother much about the village problems in the first season, is more vocal this time. The vision around Office Assistant Vikas (Chandan Roy) is still sharp, the simple comments are still funny. Deputy Chief Prahlad (Faizal Malik) gets a sub-plot this time amidst jokes and ‘tears it up’ in the last episode. Bhushan (Durgesh Kumar), who is ‘annoyed’ as a local villain or a very conscious person, is quite successful in his actions. There are many memes about him. He is fully supported by his wife Kranti Devi (Sunita Rajwar). Secretary Jitendra Kumar has been involved with TVF since almost his birth. After gaining popularity with comedy skits often under the name ‘Jitu’, he also got opportunities in Hindi films. Like everything he does in TVF, Jitendra Kumar is successful as an actor in panchayats. Through his urban eyes, we look at every corner of the village, enjoy the lifestyle of the farmers and are eager to solve their problems.
As mentioned earlier, one of the main reasons why many web series did not gain as much popularity in their second seasons was because of the story and script. In contrast, panchayat writer Chandan Kumar’s pen is enviably restrained this time too. He has kept the new season of the panchayat from slipping with a delicious smile of seriousness and humor, except for a few exaggerations. The film is directed by Deepak Kumar Mishra, who has previously starred in several TVF videos or series. The cinematography (shot in Madhya Pradesh) and the smooth editing that introduces us to the village are also commendable. The music is directed by Assamese-son Anurag Shaikia.
Panchayat was different from all the web series released till then. The new episodes follow that distinction. Thank you TVF for presenting such a neat story.
Note: Don’t forget to check out the post-credits scene in the style popularized by ‘Marvel’ movies.