What Is the Story About?
Did you notice something in what we have written above? Panchayat is not the comedy-drama that it used to be before. This season takes off immediately after the end of the third season where Pradhan Ji was shot with a bullet. The first episode starts with Abhishek dreading the FIR.
This season is all about the political drama where Manju Devi and Kranti Devi are contesting for the post of Pradhan. The two are using dirty politics that smear filth too. This time the stake is also high, where not only the MLA but also the MP is involved in the game. The end, however, is not comfortable. The election results are announced and the makers have made it very cleverly “disappointing”.
Performances?
It is the fourth season of the show and there is no new entry in the cast. The only person we see is Manju Devi’s father, who appears as the voice of enlightenment and wisdom. However, it is a short role and not impactful either.
Analysis
Season 1 and 2 were totally different things. It was warm, comforting, funny and even relatable for a middle-class family. There was a very abrupt change in the tone of the series from last season and it did not go well with a lot of people. The show became highly political and the warmth was missing.
Well, Season 4 is no relief in that. It is a purely political season with no time for the things we loved Panchayat for.
Panchayat has always felt like home. It’s one of those rare shows where not much happens, yet you feel everything. The laughs, the night-outs, the little village politics. It all works because the heart of the show has always been its people. But in Season 4, that heart feels a bit tired.
The new season picks up where we left off with Phulera in full-on election mode. Pradhan Ji and his team are now up against Bhushan, Kranti Devi, and the ever-menacing Vidhayak Ji. It should’ve been explosive, but somehow the conflict never hits hard. The suspense around who shot Pradhan Ji fizzles out faster than it should, and what could’ve been a powerful turning point just feels… average.
Actually, when the characters finally get a strong clue about who shot Pradhan ji, they don’t even give it much attention.
There are still moments that remind you why you fell in love with Panchayat in the first place. Prahlad’s quiet grief still tugs at your heart. Binod, who was once just a background character, steals scenes this time. And the “Aye sasur!” moment, said in front of Pradhan Ji’s actual sasur, is laugh-out-loud funny.
Food plays a fun role again with samosas, laddoos, and even seviyan become tools in the village’s political tug-of-war. These touches are clever and familiar, but they can’t hide the fact that the show feels stuck. Rinky and Abhishek finally warm up to each other, but even that track is weighed down by his never-ending CAT prep and a future that never arrives.
Actually CAT has taken a backseat now. Abhishek himself is not serious about the exam and there is hardly any conversation around it.
Season 4 isn’t bad but it’s starting to play it too safe. The charm is fading, and the only new elements we find are dirty politics. There are some very uncomfortable political games in the show which is just not Panchayat-like.
How?
Panchayat is about a Panchayat election. It is not even remotely realistic. There is no caste angle in a village whose dialect is closer to the languages spoken in Bihar and southern UP. It is impossible that there is no caste angle in the series.
There are also some direct references to national level politics. Cleaning toilets, getting votes on the name of a martyr —we have seen all in the actual politics of our nation.
Anyway, there is no way this series surprises you. It doesn’t even comfort you the way it usually does.
Music and Other Departments?
Just as we said, the music is also the same. Typical Panchayat music with some spice of Vidhayak and Banrakas tunes. The village setting is again the same, with a lot of believability. The dirty field, intolerable school toilet and drains are all visible. Since it is election time, the dirt has been visually shown, and so is the case with dirty politics.
Other Artists?
The others are so well adapted in their roles that there can hardly be any complaint. Jitendra, Neena Gupta, Raghubir Yadav, Faisal Malik and everyone are their old selves. At this time they are so familiar that any change in the style of performance would be bad for the audiences.
The character that stands out this season is that of Ashok Pathak’s Binod. The man is almost a comic figure in the previous seasons but we got to see a humane side of the man and it is absolutely heartwarming.
Highlights?
Performances
Dirty Politics
Arc of Binod
Drawbacks?
Lost from Track
No relief in story
Did I Enjoy It?
Not much
Will You Recommend It?
Yes, but only because it carries the story forward.
Panchayat Season 4 Review by Binged Bureau
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