Panchayat Web Series-2020

Introduction 

The Viral Fever produced the comedy-drama web series Panchayat for Amazon Prime Video in the Indian language of Hindi. Chandan Roy, Neena Gupta, Raghubir Yadav, Durgesh Kumar, Ashok Pathak, Faisal Malik, and Sunita Rajwar are among the cast members of the Deepak Kumar Mishra-produced series with Chandan Kumar's script.

The story follows the lives of an engineering graduate who, for lack of better employment prospects, accepts a position as a Panchayat secretary in the remote fictional Uttar Pradesh village of Phulera.

Table of contents

• Details

• Story

• Release Date

• Reviews

• Cast

• Crew

• Songs

• Behind the Scenes

• Awards

• Interesting facts

• Conclusion

Details 

Story

Play TVF's Panchayat is an Indian comedy-drama web series. The programme centres on the life of Abhishek Tripathi, an engineering graduate who works as the Panchayat (village council) secretary in the far-off village of Phulera. 

Tripathi struggles to adjust to the quirky people he meets, such as Raghubir, the village headman, and Vikas, the Panchayat president, as well as the rural way of life. Tripathi learns to value the small things in life and the value of community as he struggles to get through the Panchayat's bureaucracy and red tape. The programme emphasises the difficulties and problems that rural India faces, as well as the value of local governance in resolving these issues.

Amazingly, the second season of the TVF comedy-drama Panchayat maintains the same attractiveness that it had throughout the first season and, in some aspects, may even deepen it. Season 2 considers more political and social issues than Season 1, which was almost like an introduction to daily life in Phulera for the protagonist, Abhishek Tripathi, as well as for us viewers. 

The show's writing and acting performances are still excellent, but the new season outperforms its predecessor in perfectly capturing all emotional nuances. With season 2, Panchayat has the capacity to bring tears as well as laughter, and it is still an absolute must-watch.

Release Date and OTT Platform

On April 3, 2020, Panchayat made its debut on Amazon Prime Video. The series received a generally positive reception from critics, who praised the leading actors' performances as well as the scripting, direction, and other key technical elements. 

They also commended TVF and its producers for creating a rural village setting as opposed to previous works, which were typically based in an urban environment. The series won all of the Comedy Series categories at the Filmfare OTT Awards' first presentation, with the exception of Best Actress.

On May 18, 2022, the second season of the show premiered. However, two days before the scheduled release date, all of the episodes were made available. The show will return for a third season.

Reviews

You'll fall in love with the real India because of the excellent performance and compelling storyline. India is divided into two distinct regions: urban India, which has somewhat assimilated into western society, and rural India, which still adheres to tradition, culture, and authenticity. Panchayat is the ideal dose of medication for you if you enjoy watching a village story.

In Panchayat, an engineering graduate who joins a panchayat office in the small hamlet of Phulera in Uttar Pradesh's Bilai district re-discovers the town's fundamental problems, including regular power outages, a disorganised office, dowry, and family planning, among others. The action he took to enhance his quality of life is what follows.

By the time the sun sets on the worn-down box office, we know one thing for sure: It takes a village to overcome the fatigue brought on by Bollywood's obsession with setting every other movie in a small town. Tanisha Bagchi of The Quint gave Panchayat four out of five and stated, Panchayat scores in its opening credits too.

The well-timed conversations and circumstances that keep you laughing the entire time are what Sreeparna Sengupta of The Times of India gave Panchayat four out of five stars for. The series is better equipped to explore the flaws of its small cast, according to Nandini Ramanath of Scroll.in. The events of Panchayat play out as a comedy of crude manners. Abhishek learns the skill of haggling with the villagers as he proposes to build solar-powered lights. Finding hidden sympathisers is made possible by a family planning campaign's poorly stated tagline. One indication that Abhishek is now fitting into his role is the theft of a display.

Cast 

• Jitendra Kumar as Abhishek Tripathi, Panchayat Secretary

• Neena Gupta as Manju Devi Dubey, Pradhan Ricky's mother, Brij’s wife

• Raghubir Yadav as Brij Bhushan Dubey, Manju Devi's Husband, Pradhan-Pati rinky's father

• Faisal Malik as Prahladchand Prahlad Pandey, Upa-Pradhan

• Chandan Roy as Vikas, Office Assistant

• Sanvikaa as Rinki, daughter of Pradhan

• Biswapati Sarkar as Prateek, Abhishek's friend 

• Sunita Rajwar as Kranti Devi, Bhushan’s wife and Manju Devi’s rival 

• Satish Ray as Siddharth Gupta aka Siddhu, Abhishek's Friend 

• Subendhu Chakraborty as Mangal

• Shrikant Verma as Parmeshwar

• Ashok Pathak as Vinod 

• Pankaj Jha as MLA Chandra Kishore Singh

• Diwakar Dhyani as Sudhir Jaiswal BDO 

• Sushil Tondon as Bhindeshwar

• Deepesh Sumitra Jagdish as Photographer

• Mubarak Khan as Ward Member 1

• Kamal Rai as Ward Member 2

• Govind Lobhani as Ward Member 3

• Bal Mukund Rai as Ward Member 4

• Salim Ansari as Ward Member 5

• Mohd. Shakir as Ward Member 6

• Dinesh Tiwari as Ward Member 7

• Kailash Karoshiya as Ward Member 8

• Durgesh Kumar as Bhushan aka Banrakas, Kranti’s husband and Brij and Abhishek’s rival

• Deepesh Sumitra Jagdish as Photographer

• Sandeep Shikhar as Deenbandhu

• Jyoti Dubey as Sushma

• Rajesh Jais as Virendra Gupta (BDO)

• Aasif Khan as Ganesh, Bride Groom (season 1)

• Prateek Pachauri as Babloo

• Shashie Verma as Master Ji

• Dipesh Binyani as BDO's Assistant

• Ebaabdullah Khan as Dabloo

• Ankit Motghare as Theka Shopkeeper

• Usha Nagar as Deenbandhu's Mother

• Aditya Sharma as Groom's Father/Ganesh Father

Crew

The Viral Fever produced the comedy-drama web series Panchayat for Amazon Prime Video in the Indian language of Hindi. Chandan Kumar wrote the script for the Deepak Kumar Mishra-directed television series, which stars Jitendra Kumar, Sanvikaa, Raghubir Yadav, and Neena Gupta.

The storyline was set in a fictional setting in Uttar Pradesh. However, the series was shot in a genuine panchayat office in Mahodiya Village, Sehore district, Madhya Pradesh. The series, which ended up in two months, was shot in March and April of 2019, according to the lead actor Jitendra Kumar. He added that the team, which numbered 150, had a terrible time because many of them had to stand in the fields holding lights or umbrellas because it was very hot during that time which made shooting challenging.

Character Analysis

Abhishek Tripathi as Jitendra Kumar

Abhishek Tripathi, played by Jitendra Kumar, is the main character of the Indian web series "Panchayat". He is an engineering graduate who joins as the secretary of the Panchayat office in the fictional village of Phulera. He is initially hesitant to take up the job but eventually accepts it as he is unable to find any other job opportunities.

Throughout the series, Abhishek develops a strong bond with the villagers and becomes increasingly invested in their welfare. In summary, Abhishek Tripathi is a relatable and likeable protagonist, who goes through a journey of personal growth, learning and development. He is a representation of the young, educated and ambitious Indians who want to bring a change in rural India.

Raghubir Yadav as Pradhan

Raghubir Yadav plays the role of Pradhan (President) of the Panchayat in the Indian web series "Panchayat". He is the head of the Panchayat crew and is responsible for making decisions on behalf of the community. He is a respected figure in the village and is seen as a leader by the villagers.

Despite his position of power, the character of Pradhan is also shown to have a more human side, with moments of vulnerability and insecurities. He is also shown to be dealing with his own personal struggles, such as his health problems and family issues, which adds to the complexity of his character. In summary, Raghubir Yadav's portrayal of the Pradhan is a multi-faceted and nuanced one. 

Neena Gupta as Up-Pradhan

Another important character in the web series "Panchayat" is Neena Gupta's portrayal of Up-Pradhan (Vice President) of the Panchayat. She is the second in command and is responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of the Panchayat office. She is a strong-willed and no-nonsense woman who is highly efficient and organized.Her character is shown to be highly dedicated to her work and is often seen going above and beyond to ensure that the work of the Panchayat is completed on time. 

She is also shown to be highly knowledgeable about the various government schemes and policies that are available to the village. She is often seen as the voice of reason and the one who keeps the Pradhan and the rest of the Panchayat crew on track.

Songs

Behind the scenes

Play

Sameer Saxena chose Jitendra Kumar to play the lead role of Abhishek Tripathi. According to Jitendra Kumar, this was made possible by his reoccurring engagements with TVF and his similarities to the protagonist. His persona bore a striking resemblance to Shah Rukh Khan's portrayal of Mohan Bhargav in the 2004 movie Swades. Regarding the contrast disparities, Kumar said "Comparisons have to be made. But because I adore the movie, I'm overjoyed about it. It had a significant impact on me. Even at my own home, I have a framed poster of the movie with SRK sitting in a boat surrounded by neighbourhood residents".

Manju Devi, a housewife and the village Pradhan, is portrayed by Neena Gupta. She first agreed to the script based on how well-received TVF's earlier projects and their work with Raghubir Yadav and Jitendra (in her second collaboration after Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan, in which she portrayed the mother character of the latter). Yadav, who portrayed Brij Bhushan Dubey, Manju Devi's husband, said he was close to his co-star "Being able to work with Neena Gupta was wonderful. She used to completely inhabit the role. She made it seem less like we are just here for the acting ".

Chandan Roy, a pupil of Yadav, took on the part of Vikas, the office assistant. At first, he admitted that he used to attend auditions every day and that one of his buddies at the casting bay had phoned him for a little part in the series that was to be filmed in a single day. He first travelled to Bhopal to film for the same series, where he met a production assistant and received a script from the creative team. Meanwhile, Deepak Kumar Mishra shot the one-day segment that Roy had been offered.

Awards

Interesting Facts

Panchayat is an Indian web series created by TVF (The Viral Fever) and premiered on Amazon Prime Video in April 2020.

• The series was shot entirely in the real village of Badaun, Uttar Pradesh, India, and the villagers were also cast as extras in the series.

• The series received critical acclaim for its realistic portrayal of rural India and its depiction of the struggles and challenges faced by the Panchayat system.

• The series was nominated for several awards and won the award for the Best Hindi Web Series in the International Emmy Awards 2020.

• The series has been praised for its performances, particularly the performances of Jitendra Kumar as Abhishek Tripathi and Raghubir Yadav as the Pradhan of the Panchayat.

• The series was also praised for its use of humour to tell a serious and realistic story, which helped to make it more relatable and engaging for the audience.

Conclusion

The show highlights the bureaucratic hurdles and corruption that the Panchayat faces while trying to provide basic amenities and services to the villagers. The Panchayat crew is portrayed as dedicated, hardworking and honest people who are determined to make a difference in their village despite facing numerous challenges.