Panchayat (Amazon Prime; a TVF Production)

In the stressful times of Quarantine, Amazon Prime has released a short comedy-drama series called Panchayat and its simple, fresh-as-a-breeze narrative promises to bring relief.

Amidst the heavyweight mind boggling narratives of a fast-paced generation, it is important to be reminded of the simplicity of our roots. Panchayat  is that warm-centered reminder which grounds you in the most joyful way possible.

img courtesy: imdb

The show revolves around Abhishek Tripathi, an engineer who has to shift to a small village in due to his lack of better job options after graduation. During his stay, as he struggles to adapt to this new unknown world, he also discovers that the petty matters of a small village discarded by his progressive ideology govern the very life of its inhabitants. Every actor in this show, no matter their screen-time have performed their role with absolute perfection. Jitendra Kumar as Abhishek Tripathi, whose charming performance is contained in his eyes, has captured a multitude of emotions so effortlessly that at moments you forget that its a make-believe world. Raghubir Yadav as Pradhan Ji is a maestro is at his best, who speaks with his body just as much as his dialogues. Neena Gupta as Manju Devi breathes life into the the fiesty soul of rural woman. Chandan Roy as Vikas also steals the spotlight with his screen presence, who is as believable as they come.

img courtesy: imdb

The naturalistic cinematography, flat composition in shots of the show parallel the easy emotional core of the narrative. Additionally, grasping the huge crucial details of a village life such as the dialect to the smallest ones such as the habits, the quirks, the tonology or the body language are all captured with a magnificent brilliance. To portray a regional lifestyle without corrupting or appropriating it is of rare occurrence in media channels worldwide, let alone India. So kudos to TVF and the actors for delivering an eloquent account of a traditional village life.