Introduction-
India is a land of culture, and the soul of India resides in the villages.
Indian villages are still far better than cities based on humanitarian parameters, although many villages have not experienced the light of development.
India belongs to her villages. It is dynamic, with some unique types of complacency. They can wander around, poke their noses into little things, and invade others’ private spaces, and no one will be offended by it; They fuss in your good times but stay with you in your adverse days; they frown at your mistakes; they may seem selfish; they ignore failures; But deep within the tranquil ecosystem, there is some graphic truth in our villages that is not as sleepy as it looks.
The evocative world of web series
I am neither a movie buff nor a TV serial watcher. When season 1 of Panchayat was released on April 3, 2020, the world was gripped by the fear of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic, and there was eerie silence down the streets everywhere. I tried to watch TV serials, movies, and YouTube videos.
Panchayat is the first web series that I have watched. I had gone to the village to spend a few days with my father when he was posted in a rural area.
In 2018, I had the opportunity to learn the ‘ small town’ lifestyle when my husband was transferred to a small town in Uttar Pradesh.
This exposure turned out to be a turning point in my life. My perceptions about rural areas and suburban towns have now completely changed.
I watched Panchayat Season 1 two months after its release and was so glued to my cell phone that I forgot other chores.
The plight of a secretary to get a good paying job, CAT preparation, MNCs, the job market, the benefits of low-paying government jobs, the marriage market in India, the Indian dowry system, the difficulty level of competitive exams in India, and our villages. A balanced ecosystem with its imperfections—so many things are aptly shown in the Panchayat web series.
I love the connection, and village style.
Gone are the days when people never shied away from helping others.
I would visit my neighbors in the evening and be welcomed every time, no matter what.
Whatever we learned from your childhood days is with me even today.
That’s why I felt connected with the ‘Panchayat’.
With time, everything, even simple courtesy, vanished from our behavior.
Earlier, people were not so jealous, assertive, jealous, seductive, cruel, and materialistic; Nowadays, with people trying to outwit everything, going crazy to get whatever they want, and lacking a common sense of humanity, we don’t have any thought-provoking, evolutionary, and revolutionary humanist conversations. is more meaningless than human history.
In the web series ‘Panchayat,’ we observe a realistic portrayal of power struggles in the small village of Phulera and its nearby town, Fakauli.
But despite this battle of nothing, the village has an array of co-existing ecosystems.
Metamorphosis of Characters: A Summary of Rural Life
The show’s protagonist, Abhishek Tripathi, played by Jitendra Kumar, is enjoying a slowly budding love: the love of enjoying a simple life, the love of a selfless circle of friends, and the love of the company of strange people who share whatever they do. They also seem to be satisfied with what they do. They include the love of finding what you love, the love of small struggles, the love of connecting with the grassroots, the love of getting attention from innocent people, and still keeping an eye on the goal of getting a high-level job.
This kind of character development is my favorite; going from coyly submissive to strongly confident is one of the most sought-after transitions one wants to undergo.
Rinki’s (played by Sanvika) transformation from accepting the marriage proposal to not wanting to get married and thinking for herself is not a hidden ambition; it’s the concept of ‘having a chance encounter with someone you start liking’.
Another transition that should be a talking point is that of Manju Devi (played by veteran actress Neena Gupta). This quiet housewife’s transformation began after her active participation in the Republic Day celebrations in her village, where she is a delegate. From sheepishly avoiding going to Panchayat meetings to actively attending meetings, this is what many women in rural India aspire to.
Turning Points
Set in a sleepy village, this tranquil village tale witnesses several compelling twists that profoundly change the course of the story. I am refraining from writing anything extra about them.
Be it the slump in the job markets, the difficulty level of competitive exams in India, the education system, politics of India at the grassroots level, frenemy, the difference between the mentality of ambitious and modest people, flaws in government policies, and the inability of our delegates to deliver their promises despite witnessing the plights of the region, dowry system in India, unending problems of the poor, struggle to get a house, poor basic amenity in our villages, poor train operations in the rural and suburban areas of the country, open defecation in India, awareness of population policies, petty fights, the reality of women empowerment in India, the erstwhile impassive village life, sweetness of village dialect, co-existence in rural India – Panchayat web series is more than just a web series. The flow of emotions shown in the series is directly proportionate to the essence of our transition history.
Storyline – A Plotting that is singing earthiness the TVF way
I watched Panchayat Season 1 four or five times, Season 2 at least three times, and the third season which was released on the 28th of May, I already watched it twice.
All the artists have done great work in this series. Their costumes are on par with the village lifestyles, and kudos to the makers for they didn’t disturbed the basic atmosphere of an Indian village.
The show showcases real rural life – restrained, struggling, contented, happy, sad, angry, miserable, rich, and poverty – all the contradictory principles perfectly portrayed in this well-crafted web series.
Some critics may argue that this web series will only be liked by people with a small connection to rural life.
The series is missing something more important. It has women officers and one woman representative. However, there are very few girls in the series despite having so many women ward members in the area.
Loved ones, blood relatives, neighbors, coworkers, close friends, siblings, and offspring – all are valuable in our quest for life.
Life doesn’t always seem as easy as we think, but positive perseverance and a keen eye on a brighter future help us keep our feet firmly on the ground.
Conclusion –
Giving away spoilers for the series would make me hope that Sachivji will be selected for the MBA entrance exam in the upcoming season.
And a slight hope for Rinki to have some career options ( She is one of the many students who don’t take the educational qualification too seriously ).
Direct participation of all women ward members in Panchayat meetings in the upcoming session will boost the range of rural life and grassroots-level politics in India.
For many people living miserable lives, hope is a miraculous thing. Although they deserve better, they lose the battle of their lives because of the faulty system and machinery.
The Panchayat web series is one of the best I have seen so far.
The wait for the fourth season is very hard now.