Season 1 of TVF’s hit social comedy was released in 2020.

TVF seems to have the secret magic formula up their sleeve for making shows that feel like a warm hug. The third season of TVF’s social comedy series Panchayat, which launched in 2020, has that same feel-good feeling in it. The new season features beautiful writing, sensitive acting and, surprisingly, a more realistic portrayal of rural India, surpassing the already high bar that Panchayat set in its previous two seasons. It will make you smile, cry, laugh, think and probably Google the government’s Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana!

What makes this season stand out is that the rose-tinted glasses have been removed this time. Though the protagonists still share a warm friendship, we discover their eventful personal stories, emotional baggage and crises, making room for a paradigm shift. Political conflicts intensify and their consequences become more threatening. To put it bluntly, the third season of Panchayat bursts some of the glossy bubbles of utopian illusions and hits home with some harsh reality.

Sanvikar’s story arc is getting more screen time compared to the previous seasons.

It sees Prahalad Chacha (Faisal Malik) turning to alcohol to cope with his grief, Vikas (Chandan Roy) silently enduring the horror of financial strain, Abhishek (Jitendra Kumar) trying to shake off his obvious love for Pullera and Brij Bhushan Dubey (Raghubir Yadav) humiliated by all his opponents on the political front and embroiled in domestic strife.

At various points in the season, you will sympathize with them all, but especially with Prahalad, who is devastated by the loss of his son. Something has changed inside him forever, and Malik’s brilliant performance embodies that loss. There is a scene in the third episode where he shows someone the horrible state of his house, full of mud, empty bottles and scattered dreams, to make them understand the importance of having a family, and the two of them shed tears in silence. The scene is delicately written and guaranteed to bring you to tears. In an equally exhilarating sequence, he provides a large amount of funding for the construction of a road in Pulera so that Pradhan can win the election and simply because “what would a man without purpose do with so much money?”

As the episode progressed, I was feeling nostalgic for the foursome’s “Baithak” sessions, when life seemed simpler over a few drinks. The emotional beats of the story make those few light-hearted yet substantial scenes more impactful than in the previous seasons. Through the characters’ relationships, the show made me think about friends I had unwillingly lost touch with.

This season sees more of the slowly brewing romance between Rinki (Sanvikar) and Abhishek. There’s plenty of eye talk, shy smiles, wordplay and awkwardness. Thankfully, both Jitendra and Sanvikar deliver stellar performances without relying on typical Bollywood melodrama, cheesy dialogue, violins and fluttering chiffon saris.

Apart from the expected great performances from the main cast, what really caught my attention was Abba Sharma as Jagmohan’s grandmother. Her performance is so tasteful and she feels fresh every time she appears on screen. From the spot-on accent to her playful facial expressions to her silly body language, Sharma nails her role and captures the essence of a quintessential Uttar Pradesh ‘Dadi’.

Over the course of the eight episodes, we meet a host of colorful characters, including a few familiar faces, such as the groom and his rambunctious friend from season one. Despite the many storylines, the series never feels overstuffed, with each episode unfolding in the show’s signature leisurely style.

The filmmakers did a fantastic job with the set design, props and costumes.

What I particularly liked was the production design of the setting. It is relatively rare for rural landscapes to be portrayed authentically in Indian films and television. The usual portrayals are often marred by a romanticized image of villages and are full of counterfactual content in the name of creative freedom. But Panchayat not only manages to do just that, it also surpasses the previous two seasons in its context. The showrunners have managed to narrow the huge gap between commercial and arthouse cinema. From real homes and everyday items to real local brands and festive snacks, Phulera’s portrayal is beyond impressive. It is clear that rigorous work has gone into faithfully portraying India’s hinterland.

If you watch the show carefully, you will also notice plenty of visual metaphors and gags – like when Pradhan loses control of his usually affable buffalo when he is accused, or Abhishek always spills the tea when things are about to get out of hand, or Vidhayak, who is accused of killing and eating a dog (yes, I know, gross!), casually keeps pictures and decorations of camels in his living room.

The best scene is when two enraged groups face off against each other, ready to take on the other with batons, guns and whatever else they can get their hands on. Officials try to calm the excited crowd. Just when things are about to explode, a phone ringing loudly with “Sarah Jahan Se Acha” interrupts the proceedings.

Bhushan is trying to capitalise on the animosity between Pradhan ji and Vidhayak this season.

I otherwise loved the show, but am a little worried by the slight change in tone of the series this time around, with a spotlight on boring political issues. We meet other elected members of the panchayat, there’s lots of election banter, official meetings, etc. Even Uttar Pradesh’s notorious gun culture is touched upon.

The change is not very dramatic and does not cloud the storyline, but as the cliffhanger of the final episode suggests, more political drama may come to the fore in future seasons. Hopefully, even if the show does take on a political overtone, it will not compromise on its raw emotional appeal and sincere portrayal of nuanced human relationships (what Panchayat has done best since its inception).

All eight episodes of Panchayat are currently streaming on Prime Video.

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