It is amazing to make a web series like ‘Panchayat’ in the era of AI and all kinds of visual effects. Arguably one of the best web series based on rural India, Panchayat is a hugely popular show. Its third season is a breath of fresh air with deep emotions and a sense of connection. These 8 episodes of around 35 to 40 minutes take you once again to Phulera village and make you feel what we may have left feeling.
the story
This time the story of Phulera village begins with a new secretary trying to get to work on his first day, while the people of Phulera are trying to get their old secretary Abhishek Tripathi back. Played by Jitendra Kumar, Sachivji, who has left the village, also keeps in touch with Rinki (Sanvika) and is happy to be back. However, after returning, Abhishek faced several problems along with his MBA preparation, such as a dispute over the houses allotted to Phulera East and West under the Gram Awas Yojana. There is a clash between the MLA and the villagers and the love story of Secretary ji and Rinki progresses.
The Pradhan Pati played by Raghubir Yadav and the original Pradhan Ji played by Neena Gupta are cute as always. Chandan Roy aka Vikas has also spent quality time with his family this season. Also, we finally get to see his wife played by Tripti Sahu. Prahlad Cha played by Faisal Malik moves forward in life and with his story we move forward and maybe we can wait and think how far we have progressed in life and how far we can run.
Directing and writing
Like the first two seasons, this series also connects with you and makes you feel a lot. Writer-director duo Chandan Kumar and Deepak Kumar Mishra have a lot to say this season as well. The small incidents of the series will instantly make a place in your heart. Like a son fights with his old mother to get a free house but is unable to evict her from the house. Prahlad’s intervention and his view of the house is the most heart-wrenching point of the series. But that’s not all for him, he immediately withdraws Rs 5 lakh from his bank account for the village. Her telling Vikas that he should not worry about his son’s education shows that both humanity and innocence are alive. This web series makes you realize that life in the cities is fast-paced but the peace that people living in these big cities need is found only in the villages.
However, the makers have disappointed with the third season as well. Unlike the previous two seasons, the cast has no character graph. Lacking good punchlines, most of the characters this season seem uninteresting. Moreover, Panchayati Season 3 is progressing at a very slow pace. While the side stories in the previous two seasons were perfectly aligned with the main story, this time around we don’t get to see the same. Apart from a small matter of Gram Awas Yojana, this season only has Bhushan and MLA vs Phulera theme.
acting
Jatinder Kumar is once again excellent in the role of the secretary, he is both happy to return to Phulera village and troubled by the problems there, he is also in love with Rinki and has to study, he is wonderful in every way. Raghubir Yadav’s acting in the role of Pradhanji is outstanding, he is the kind of actor whose acting can never be bad. Neena Gupta’s work is amazing. This actress, who is often seen in a very modern style on social media, wins the hearts of people here in a simple saree. Chandan Roy has again done a good job in the role of Vikas. Samvika is also perfect in the role of Rinki, her simple and easy style wins hearts.
Durgesh Kumar has looked strong in the role of Banarax i.e. Bhushan. He gets adequate support from Ashok Pathak as Binod and Sunita Rajwar as his wife Kranti Devi. Pankaj Jha is formidable as the MLA, he is the root of anarchy in this village and he plays this role with aplomb. But one actor who has beaten them all is Faisal Malik. His work as Prahlad is excellent, Faisal makes you feel for a father who has lost his son. The pity in his eyes and the ‘no one leaves prematurely’ dialogue stays with you.
How is the Panchayat?
Packed with strong acting and good music, Panchayat Season 3 is worth a watch. While the first season made you laugh, the second season made you cry, it gets lost in its pacing and one-sided themes. Despite the writing not doing justice to the level of this show, the third season has high marks. From fun fight scenes to emotional aspects, this series will have you waiting for its next season. On Prime Video, TVF’s Panchayati Season 3 could have been better, but it clearly deserves 4 stars for its characters and Phulera’s OG life.
