Genre: Crime/Drama
Release Date: 2024
Language: Hindi
“Panchayat” is an Indian Hindi-language television series created by The Viral Fever for Amazon Prime Video. Scripted by Chandan Kumar and directed by Deepak Kumar Mishra, the series stars Jitendra Kumar, Raghubir Yadav, Neena Gupta, Sanvikaa, Chandan Roy, Durgesh Kumar, Ashok Pathak, Faisal Malik, and Sunita Rajwar. The story follows an engineering graduate who, due to a lack of better job opportunities, becomes the secretary of a Panchayat in the fictional village of Phulera, Uttar Pradesh.
Filming took place in a real panchayat office in the village of Mahodiya, located in the Sehore district of Madhya Pradesh, approximately 40 kilometers from Bhopal and 10 kilometers from Sehore’s district headquarters. The series features a soundtrack and score by Anurag Saikia, with cinematography by Amitabh Singh and editing by Amit Kulkarni. This project marks Deepak Kumar Mishra’s full-fledged directorial effort following his work on the second seasons of “Permanent Roommates” and “Humorously Yours!”.
Premiering on Amazon Prime Video on April 3, 2020, “Panchayat” received widespread acclaim for its performances, script, direction, and technical aspects. Critics particularly appreciated TVF’s shift to a rural setting, a departure from their usual urban-centric projects. At the inaugural Filmfare OTT Awards, the series won all nominations in the Comedy Series category except for Best Actress. It was also nominated for Best Original Story, Screenplay, and Dialogues for Chandan Kumar, though it did not win in these categories.
The second season, initially scheduled for release on May 20, 2022, was made available two days early. This season depicts Abhishek becoming more involved in village politics and development while preparing for the CAT exam.
Renewed for a third season, “Panchayat” was first set to premiere on January 15, 2024, then delayed to March 2024, and is now scheduled to release on May 28, 2024. The series continues to explore the life of an urban engineering graduate navigating the challenges and unfamiliar culture of rural village life as a Gram panchayat secretary in Phulera, Uttar Pradesh.