Panchayat Season 3 Review: Internal politics, slow romance, vidhayak vs Phulera, Prahlad's misery, third season has everything but pace

In the era of AI and all kinds of visual effects, the making of a web series like 'Panchayat' is surprising. Arguably one of the best web series based in rural India, Panchayat is a much-watched show. Its third season is a breath of fresh air mixed with deep emotions and a sense of relatability. These 8 episodes of about 35 to 40 minutes once again take you to Phulera village and make you feel what perhaps we have stopped feeling.
 
Story

This time the story of Phulera village starts with a new secretary trying to join work on the first day, whereas the people of Phulera are busy trying to bring back their old Sachiv Ji, Abhishek Tripathy. Played by Jitendra Kumar, Sachiv Ji who has left the village also stays in touch with Rinki (Sanvikaa), and is noticeably happy to be back. However, after coming back Abhishek has to deal with several problems along with his preparation for MBA, like a dispute over the houses provided to Phulera East and West under the Gram Awas Yojana. There is a conflict between the MLA and the villagers and the love story of Secretary Ji and Rinki progresses. 

Pradhan Pati played by Raghubir Yadav and real Pradhan Ji played by Neena Gupta are endearing as ever. Chandan Roy aka Vikas also has better family time this season. Also, we finally get to see his wife played by Tripti Sahu. Prahlad Cha brought to life by Faisal Malik moves ahead in life and along with his story, we also move forward and can perhaps wait and think how much have we progressed in life, and how much we can run away from. 
 
Direction and writing

Like the first two seasons, this series connects you with itself and makes you feel a lot. The writer and director duo of Chandan Kumar and Deepak Kumar Mishra have a lot to say this season as well. Small instances from the series will make a way to your heart instantly. Like get a free house, a son fights with his old mother but is not able to throw her out of the house. Prahlad's intervention and his idea of a home is the most heart-wrenching point in the series. But that's not all for him, he immediately brings Rs 5 lakh from his bank account for the village. Him saying to Vikas that he should not worry about your son's education, tells you that both humanity and innocence are alive. This web series makes you realise that life may move faster in the cities but the peace that these big city dwellers look for is found only in the villages.
 
However, the makers have also disappointed with the third season. Unlike the previous two seasons, the cast has no character graph. Due to the lack of good punchlines, this season most of the characters look unappealing. Moreover, Panchayat season 3 is very slow-paced. Whereas the previous two seasons had side stories aligned with a main storyline perfectly, this time we don't get to see that. Other than a small case of Gram Awas Yojana, this season only deals with Bhushan and Vidhayak vs Phulera theme. 

Acting

Jitendra Kumar is again wonderful in the role of Sachiv Ji, he is happy to return to Phulera village and is also troubled by the problems here, he is also in love with Rinki and he also has to study, he is wonderful in every expression. Raghubir Yadav's acting in the role of Pradhan ji is unmatched, he is such an actor whose acting can never go out of place. Neena Gupta's work is fantastic. The actor who is often seen in a very modern style on social media, wins hearts here in a simple saree. Chandan Roy has again done a good job in the role of Vikas. Sanvika also looks perfect in the role of Rinki, her simple and easy-going style wins hearts.
 
Durgesh Kumar is tremendous in the role of Banarakas i.e. Bhushan. He gets the required support from equally compelling Ashok Pathak as Binod, and Sunita Rajwar as his wife Kranti Devi. Pankaj Jha as MLA is tremendous, he is the root cause of the chaos in this village and he has played this role with great strength. But the one actor who has outshines all, is Faisal Malik. His work in the role of Prahlad is tremendous, Faisal makes you feel for a father who lost his son. The longing in his eyes to the dialogue, 'Samay se pehle koi nahin jayega,' stays with you. 

Verdict

Packed with strong acting and good music, Panchayat Season 3 is a fine watch. Where the first season made you laugh, the second season made you cry, this one gets lost in its pace and one-track theme.  Despite the writing not doing justice to the level of this show, the third season has its high points. From the funny fighting scene to the emotional aspect, this series will force you to wait for its next season. Out on Prime Video, TVF's Panchayat season 3 could have been better but clearly deserves 3 stars for its characters and Phulera's OG life.