Panchayat Review: Jitendra Kumar, Raghubir Yadav, Neena Gupta Spell Magic With Their Performances in the TVF Show With a Refreshing Take on Rural Life 

Panchayat Review: "Thokar Lagti Hai Toh Dard Hota Hai, Tabhi Manushya Sikh Pata Hai" (Setbacks help a man learn better), is a line that we see written across the wall in the Fulera Panchayat office in TVF's new show Panchayat. The eight-part series pretty much revolves around this moral and how the show's protagonist Abhishek Tripathi (Jitendra Kumar) truly understands its true meaning by the end of it. For someone who has just finished college and bagged a government job as a Secretary of Panchayat Office in Uttar Pradesh's Gaya district's Fulera village, it's a big shift.  He goes from strolling in malls to walking across endless fields in search of a key after the Panchayat Pradhan loses it whilst answering nature's call. Panchayat Trailer Video: Jitendra Kumar's Humorous Amazon Prime Series Can Be Next On Your Binge-Watch List!

Abhishek (Jitendra Kumar) is constantly seen contemplating his life decisions and has it etched in his head that a Rs 20,000 salaried job as a Panchayat Secretary is a punishment he is serving for all the opportunities that he lost out on to study and do well in his engineering days. His friend Prateek (Biswapati Sarkar) who is a part of the corporate rat race of CTCs and in-hand salaries encourages Abhishek (Kumar) to seize his 'Mohan Bhargav moment' (a reference to Shah Rukh Khan's Swades that is cleverly used as pop culture). On taking up the 'village adventure' Abhishek's response is "Simple life chahiye yaar, nahi karna adventure, nahi dekhna rural India." This, of course, is followed by his 'rural adventures' which thanks to Chandan Kumar's writing are fresh and unlike the overly dramatised, cinematic 'Mitti ki Khushboo' moments. There is one hindrance though and that is there are no strong backstories to the lead characters. We don't learn much about Abhishek's life before the village or even beyond it except for one scene where he is seen conversing with his mother on a call. There's little known about his family or even his financial situation that is forcing him to take up this job.

Panchayat's strength lies in its gaze. It is not about discovering the ugly underbellies of rural India. There are no expletive-filled, gun-totting criminals here (like Mirzapur) or the classic money lender exploiting the poorer folk. The village problems are as simple yet crucial for their community living. From the placement of solar lights to busting ghost myths and also solving a family feud over naming a new-born child is what we get in a crafty manner. As the 'Sacheev Ji' (Secretary) of the Panchayat, Abhishek (Kumar) is constantly disgruntled with these petty issues because he's too busy preparing for his CAT exams since MBA seems his only escape from the village life. Panchayat cleverly touches upon social issues such as despite Manju Devi (Neena Gupta) being elected the village Pradhan, it is her husband who works at the Panchayat office and is even referred to as 'Pradhaan ji'  because the women here are only nominal heads. Without ever getting preachy or making a hero out of Abhishek's  (modern, educated) character, the show makes its points subtly. The situational comedy is on point and with a fine cast, it gets perfectly conveyed through the characters' body language.  The show is laced with some beautiful scenes that show male bonding and male ego in such nuanced ways that it takes you by surprise. Watch out for a wedding scene where the groom throws a few tantrums and no it's not the cliched dowry scenes we have seen in movies since ages.

Considering for the millennial generation social acceptance is more about Instagram likes than being yourself and letting people in through conversations and the show exactly captures this generational as well as rural-urban divide beautifully in a scene with Abhishek's meltdown on loneliness. Also, special mention to the writers for using ' Lauki' (bottle gourd) as an amazing metaphor all through.

Deepak Kumar Mishra's direction is a delight right from the opening credits which capture the mundane bits of village life. The background score all through is fabulous too. Mishra's lens captures the rural setting without ever getting the tint of a modern/elitist gaze. The dusty roads of Fulera sure don't give 'village adventure' vibes but that's also because, for us, it's a view from Abhishek's eyes who much like the dusty village has an out of focus, blurred version of his future. The show's finale does hint at another season but I certainly hoped for a stronger climax than a predictable one which the show eventually settles for.

Check Out Panchayat Trailer Here:

Panchayat boasts of a stellar cast who fit the bill perfectly. Jitendra Kumar's work with TVF has been phenomenal in the past too and he continues to bring his A-game to this show as well. After Kota Factory's Jeetu Bhaiya, Panchayat's Abhishek Tripathi is yet another character that will be memorable. Raghubir Yadav too is as always amazing and I particularly enjoyed his scenes with Neena Gupta who seems criminally underused in the show. Gupta is beyond brilliant even with her limited bits for the first few episodes but surely makes a big impact in the finale. Her character's sassy comebacks will leave you stumped. Chandan Roy as Vikas (an assistant to Panchayat Secretary) does a fabulous job of making his character both endearing and entertaining. While the cast cement themselves perfectly in these roles, the different accents they all present do come across as a downside. Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan Movie Review: Ayushmann Khurrana, Jitendra Kumar Are Spot On in a Film That Struggles to Come Out to the Viewer.

Yay!

- A Minty-Fresh Script

- Solid Performances

- Lovely Background Score

Nay!

- Neena Gupta's Limited Screen Presence

- Missing Backstories for Characters

Final Verdict:

Panchayat after a long time is one show that will make you smile with its simplicity and make you believe that there is still good out there and nothing is the end of the world. Conflicts can be resolved irrespective of their magnanimity and that the real deal is to keep moving forward. For those who love stories that aren't preachy or heroic yet leave you with something to think about, this should be your pick.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 04, 2020 03:29 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).