Time indeed flies. ‘Panchayat’ television series started streaming on Prime Video exactly a year ago yesterday i.e. from 3rd April 2020 onwards.
The show was considered by many as a sincere attempt to create a contemporary version of the classic TV Show ‘Malgudi Days’. ‘Panchayat’ gave us the much-needed dose of fresh, unadulterated humour during the COVID-19 lockdown period.
The web series followed an engineering graduate Abhishek Tripathi, who unwillingly accepted the post of Secretary of a panchayat office in a remote village of Uttar Pradesh. The leading role was beautifully enacted by IIT Kharagpur alumni turned actor Jitendra Kumar, who became quite popular after playing Jeetu Bhaiya in TVF’s another TV show ‘Kota Factory’.
Unsurprisingly, Jitendra Kumar went on to win a Filmfare Award in the ‘Best Actor Comedy Series (Male)’ category, for ‘Panchayat’.
The show pulled off some genuinely funny lines, which induced non-slapstick beaming moments. The show’s writer Chandan Kumar encapsulated the relaxed life of a quintessential village with remarkable authenticity. All the characters felt so real and the chemistry amongst them was beautifully executed by the show’s director Deepak Kumar Mishra.
Jitendra Kumar’s effortless act was supported by flawless performances of veteran actors Raghuveer Yadav (in the role of Pradhan-Pati) and Neena Gupta (in the role of an inactive village Pradhan). But the dark horse amongst these seasoned actors was Chandan Roy, who played the role of the good-hearted assistant to the Panchayat Secretary.
Binge-watching ‘Panchayat’ is bound to be a delightful experience for you, especially if you want a respite from the run-of-the-mill, over-the-top comedies. Each episode of the show is a slice-of-life comedy-drama that gives you the feel of a typical easy-going village-day. But it never gets boring.
Please watch ‘Panchayat’ if you still haven’t. If you do that, you’ll be eagerly waiting for the second season to come out like us.