In the new season of Panchayat, the ubiquitous ‘lauki’ (bottle gourd) becomes the poll symbol for Manju Devi (Neena Gupta) while her opponent Kranti Devi (Sunita Rajwar) opts for the ‘pressure cooker’. Even though it seems like this electoral battle reflects the charming quirks of rural life, so delightfully captured in the earlier seasons, it’s eventually revealed that the plot is overcooked.
The previous season ended with clashes and chaos even as the dates for the upcoming panchayat elections were announced. The outbreak of violence in the run-up to panchayat elections is not an uncommon occurrence in India. So, as expected the turf war between the frontrunners for the post of ‘pradhan’ — Manju Devi and Kranti Devi — heats up in this season. As their supporters and allies engage in a series of one-upmanship, the idyllic life in Phulera and its charming ways seem to be a thing of the past.
The series started as a heartwarming drama when MBA-aspirant Abhishek Tripathi (Jitendra Kumar) aka Sachivji takes up the job of Phulera panchayat’s secretary. Though Manju Devi is the elected head of the panchayat (village council), it is the husband Pradhanji (Raghubir Yadav) who calls the shots there. Rich in details and humour, the series was a refreshing portrayal of rural life, their simplicity and conflicts. Since then the series has grown in ambition — the episodes are longer, the conflicts are bigger and there are more characters.
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Yet, the tracks of its main characters such as Pradhanji, Sachivji, Vikas (Chandan Roy) and Prahlad (Faisal Malik) are underdeveloped compared to earlier seasons. The women characters somehow end up playing second fiddle to the men just when you thought Manju Devi is almost ready to claim her position as the real ‘pradhan’ and Rinki has aspirations of building her own identity. Even Kranti Devi seems a paler version of her now-popular badass self.
Even though an intense electoral showdown unfolds in Phulera, somehow it does not have the same dramatic impact as some of the earlier incidents, such as the exchange of slippers and the drama that ensued, or, when Rinki was harassed by a rejected suitor. Also missing are the romantic moments between Rinku and Sachivji. Some scenes featuring the two, in the latter half of the fourth season, come across as afterthoughts or merely there to serve the story’s progress.
It was evident in the previous season that Panchayat was keen on expanding its canvas and escalating the drama. The changes in the tone and feel of the series are more pronounced in the new season. Such changes are welcome as long as it does not make the narrative tedious. However, the dramatic moments don’t translate into a riveting experience.
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Panchayat started out as a charming series, rooted in rural Indian life. What captured the viewers attention are its lovable characters, nuanced writing and gentle humour. It was a break from shows that rely on violence and shock values to hook audiences. Its story and sequences had a lived-in authenticity that made the series relatable even to the urban viewers. However, the world of Phulera, as we knew it, has been disrupted—and not in a good way.
Panchayat Season 4 creators: Deepak Kumar Mishra and Chandan Kumar
Panchayat Season 4 cast: Jitendra Kumar, Neena Gupta, Raghubir Yadav, Faisal Malik, Chandan Roy, Sanvikaa, Durgesh Kumar, Sunita Rajwar, and Pankaj Jha
Panchayat Season 4 rating: 2.5 stars
