We didn’t realise how two years had passed. Season 2 of Panchayat released in 2022, bringing tears to the audience’s eyes as it progressed. The third season of the show is finally here!
PLOT: Season 3 of Panchayat sees the continuation of the conflict between Pradhanji (Raghubir Yadav) and the MLA, Chandrakishore Singh (Pankaj Jha) that began in season 2. Elections are quickly approaching, and the MLA has caused concern among Phulera residents such as Pradhanji and Manju Devi (Neena Gupta). Bhedi Bhushan Sharma, aka Banrakas (Durgesh Kumar), from Phulera, is his supporter. On the other side, Abhishek Tripathi (Jitendra Kumar), alias Secretary, has suffered the wrath of the MLA and has almost lost his position. Will any new hope emerge for the people of Phulera?
PERFORMANCE: To begin, let us look at Jitendra Kumar’s performance. He has been excellent in his duties from the start, and he has gone above and beyond this time. Raghubir Yadav and Neena Gupta deliver outstanding performances as Pradhanji and Manju Devi, respectively. Not only are their individual performances fantastic, but it’s also entertaining to watch them squabble and fight. Chandan Roy Sanyal has also captured the essence of Vikas. This season’s main character, Prahlad, will bring tears to your eyes! Faizal Khan has done an excellent job portraying the changes in his character’s emotions and attitude onscreen.
Seeing Durgesh Singh in the part of Bhushan Sharma, called Banrakas, makes you angry and giggle at the same time. This demonstrates the actor’s superior performance. Binod (Ashok Pathak) is as entertaining as ever, while Kranti Devi (Sunita Rajwar) is opportunistic. The MLA is as wicked as ever, and seeing him makes you want to smack him, indicating that actor Pankaj Jha did an excellent job. Sanvika is a bit obnoxious, but she does a wonderful job as Rinki.
HIGHLIGHTS: It is difficult to manage such a vast cast, given everyone adequate screen time, and serve a series on screen in a distinct but equally enjoyable manner. But Deepak Kumar Mishra, the filmmaker, has done it. He did justice to Chandan Kumar’s script, and Amitabh Singh’s cinematography helped him tremendously. This series has several excellent twists. It’s always fun to see both new and familiar characters together! Watching this causes you to laugh, cry, and become furious, and your heart rate often begins to increase. The series’ music adds to its entertainment value. Overall, the story of Phulera Village will keep you entertained. Deepak Kumar Mishra constantly provides something new and exciting. You will remember every character this time, just as you did in the first two seasons.
Anurag Saikia’s musical compositions heighten the series’ emotional resonance and storytelling power. The music, which ranges from the upbeat title tune to the understated background soundtrack, flawlessly matches the show’s different moods and enhances the vividness and immersion of Phulera’s existence.
DRAWBACKS: For the third installment, the writer really raised the ante. But ultimately faltered, with the season coming to an unmemorable climax. Just a few minutes before the finale, there was a high moment that might have been a fantastic cliffhanger and the beginning of the fourth season.
VERDICT: All-in-all, Panchayat Season 3 has once again demonstrated why it is one of the best instances of Indian web series storytelling. Every scene captures the flavour of rural India through a meaningful narrative and fascinating people. Once again, TVF’s writing captures hearts, and for the binge-watchers; you all will complete the entire season in one go.
Cast: Jitendra Kumar, Neena Gupta, Raghubir Yadav, Chandan Roy, Sanvikaa, Durgesh Kumar, Ashok Pathak, Faisal Malik and Sunita Rajwar.
Director: Deepak Kumar Mishra
Writer: Chandan Kumar
Streaming on: Amazon Prime Video
Rating: 3.5/5