This writer, known for dissecting socio-political currents, seldom covers international issues but almost never ventures into the realm of web series or films. To be clear, this is not a glossy review of Panchayat, but rather an invitation for Gen Z to explore the essence of rural Bharat through their phone screens.
This piece is a commentary on the essence of India鈥檚 villages, not a homage to a particular show.
Set in the fictional Phulera village of Uttar Pradesh, Amazon Prime Video鈥檚 Panchayat, crafted by The Viral Fever (TVF), weaves a tale that speaks to political hopefuls, civil service aspirants, and anyone curious about the heartbeat of public life in India鈥檚 650,000-plus villages. Now streaming its fourth season as of June 24, 2025, Panchayat manoeuvres through the quirks, aspirations, and power plays of rural India with a rawness that feels like breathing the village air itself.
The story trails Abhishek Tripathi, portrayed by actor Jitendra Kumar, an engineering graduate stuck as Phulera鈥檚 panchayat secretary, his urban cynicism clashing with the village鈥檚 unpolished reality. This very dilemma pans a story that鈥檚 relatable, quirky, ludicrous, and hard-hitting, reflecting the simplicity and struggles of rural Bharat.
For those eyeing roles in governance or politics, Panchayat is a living textbook on grassroots India, where bureaucracy tangles with human eccentricity and local tiffs that brew beneath the surface. Season 4, the latest installment, digs into Phulera鈥檚 political narrative, with panchayat elections looming and Abhishek, the panchayat secretary, grappling with his MBA dreams, offering a window into the ambitions and frictions that shape the lives of today鈥檚 youths while discovering his fondness for Rinki, the daughter of the village chief (Pradhan Ji).
What makes Panchayat seminal is its raw, unfiltered, and natural resemblance to rural life. There鈥檚 no Bollywood semblance here, no forced drama鈥攋ust the steady rhythm of a village going about its day. The plot moves like a bullock cart: deliberate, gripping, and real. The east-west factionalism in Phulera鈥攁nalogous to the internecine feuds and schisms that exist in the society鈥攕tirred by schemers like Banrakas (Durgesh Kumar) and Kranti Devi (Sunita Rajwar), mirrors the small but fierce power struggles that define rural politics. The dialogues are the show鈥檚 spine, sharp and rooted.
Take Binod鈥檚 (played by actor Ashok Pathak) line, 鈥淗um gareeb hain, gaddar nahi鈥 (We鈥檙e poor, not traitors), a gut-punch that captures the fierce dignity of the penurious. Or the tender 鈥淧yar mein dukh to hoga hi鈥 (Pain is inevitable in love), tied to one of the many poignant scenes.
For political aspirants, Panchayat is a crash course in navigating loyalty, power, and community ties. It shows how schemes like Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana or Swachh Bharat Mission seep down to the bottom and the struggle of the poor to avail themselves of such life-changing schemes. Also, one gets to learn the deep-down mechanism of such flagship schemes, which are merely names for anyone living in urban cities.
The village chieftain, Manju Devi (played by veteran actress Neena Gupta), the Pradhan, evolves from a puny housewife to a quiet tactician, showing how women can wield influence in a man鈥檚 world. It becomes imperative for young leaders to take notes on the gradual evolution of Manju Devi as the show furthers and she goes on to become a paragon of resilience, persistence, learning, evolving, and adapting amid chaos. Those vying to be civil servants may find Abhishek鈥檚 journey relatable to their own鈥攃harting into troubled waters, grappling with ethics for service and local politics akin to running with the hare and hunting with the hound, yet wading for purpose in the quandary. His internal struggle between Phulera鈥檚 influence and his urban aspirations mirrors the challenges faced by young officers stationed in India鈥檚 rural areas.
The casting is impeccable. Jitendra Kumar鈥檚 Abhishek is every urbanite who鈥檚 ever felt out of place, while Raghubir Yadav鈥檚 Brij Bhushan Dubey, the pradhan鈥檚 husband, brings earnest chaos to every scene. Neena Gupta鈥檚 Manju Devi and Sanvikaa鈥檚 Rinki add emotional loft, and side characters like Binod and Madhav inject humor and heart. The characters do not seem like actors performing a role; instead, they are residents of Phulera (phulerawasi), each with their own story and struggle reflected in their faces.
The web series Panchayat is also in a way reflective of rural Bharat鈥檚 contradictions鈥攊ts aspirations, its grit, and its quiet rebellions. For those dreaming of public life, it鈥檚 a reminder that understanding India鈥檚 villages goes beyond policy papers and think tanks; it demands heart, patience, and an ear for the unsaid. As the show鈥檚 iconic water tank scene puts it, 鈥淎ap ek bar tanki ki chhat se dekh lo Phulera, pyar toh ho hi jayega鈥 (One look at Phulera from the tank鈥檚 roof, and you鈥檒l fall in love). Panchayat makes you love rural Bharat, thorns and all.
And to the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, who once famously declared poverty a mere 鈥渟tate of mind,鈥 here鈥檚 a sarcastic nudge: binge on Panchayat this weekend. Phulera鈥檚 struggles鈥攊ts water woes, its scheming pradhans, its stubborn pride鈥攎ight just show you that poverty is less a mindset and more a daily grind. Watch closely, sir; the pulse of rural India isn鈥檛 in manifestos but in the muddy lanes of villages like Phulera.
Yuvraj Pokharna is an independent journalist and columnist. He tweets with @iyuvrajpokharna. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18鈥檚 views.