Realistic, rustic flavours
Aradhika Sharma
Finally, here’s a web-series about a village in Uttar Pradesh where the characters are neither petty crooks nor bloodthirsty criminals. The eight-episode-long Panchayat is a peek into the Panchayati Raj governance of Phulera village. Jitendra Kumar, recently seen in Shubh Mangal Zyada Savdhaan, plays the protagonist, Abhishekh Tripathi, who is posted in a dusty village as Sachiv ji or panchayat secretary (a bottom-shelf job he had to take up for lack of options).
The cinematography is supported by a script that is as brilliant as it is simple and a cast of terrific actors — Neena Gupta playing Manju Devi, the elected pradhan of the village; Raghubir Yadav playing Brij Bhushan Dubey, her husband who is the de-facto pradhan; Chandan Roy playing Vikas, the astute and amiable Man Friday of the panchayat, and Faisal Mallik playing Prahlad, the cordial deputy pradhan.
The screenplay, setting, characters, plot and the cinematic narration come together in one organic whole that works superbly and the viewers are treated to a composition that feels authentic, rustic and rational. The filmmaking is reminiscent of the old-time DD serials like Hum Log, Ye Jo Hai Zindagi, Nukkad, Malgudi Days, Wagle ki Duniya and Mungeri Lal ke Haseen Sapne. All these serials did not depend on sex, sleaze and deception; they had strong and cohesive storylines, controlled direction and stellar acting.
Adding to the delightfulness of the show are the crafty dialogues, written by Chandan Kumar, that have faithfully captured the essence of UP parlance. The locals adore discussion and a simple question is never met with a direct answer, but some amount of conversation is considered desirable. Unlike city dwellers, the small town and village folks have both the time and inclination to indulge in endless discussions and are interested and involved in the lives of people, thus their community extends far beyond their family and embraces the entire village.
While their lives and concerns may be modest, most people are canny enough to grasp the issues that could become problematic and resolve these either with dialogue or with a native, practical cunning. Like Manju Devi, the women may allow their husbands to govern in their stead, but they, specially the matronly women, have a say in their families and a voice which they don’t hesitate to use.
While the issues that the director, Deepak Kumar Mishra, highlights are important to the lives of the villagers, there is no outright conflict or overwhelming drama in the half-hour long episodes. Yet, each episode picks up a topic, examines it, resolves it and moves forward. The episodes variously deal with when Abhishek buys a ‘chakke wali kursi’; goes to the bazaar to get a photograph taken for his CAT exam and gets into a fight with local lads; is instructed by the local government authorities to get a family planning slogan painted on public walls which states:“Do bachche hain meethi kheer; usse zyada bawaseer”. The management of the offence caused to the sentiments of the locals (most of who have multiple progeny) and the displeasure of the local authorities were he to remove it, is the theme of one hilarious episode.
Underlying these is the deeper struggle that Abhishek must resolve within himself — the tug of war between his city upbringing and his life in the village; his aspirations for an urban and corporate life, and the reality of his rural, unfamiliar and uncomfortable life, with people whose concerns seem alien to him. He is dislocated and at war with his situation, and thus irritable and frustrated. The story that unfolds over a few months is about the growing acceptance of each other. Of bonding, humanness and shared joys, sorrows and achievements. A sense of affection and warmth develops as Abhishek starts to invest more deeply in the village and its people, which leaves the viewers with a sense of regret when the last episode is over and they are eagerly awaiting the next season.
