On paper, Panchayat Season 1 (Amazon Prime Video, 2020) sounds like a recipe for despair. A young, urban engineering graduate, Abhishek Tripathi, fails to crack the CAT exam and, as a last resort, takes a job as the Sachiv (secretary) of the Gram Panchayat in the remote village of Phulera, Uttar Pradesh. His office is a broken-down room. His "accommodation" is a cot next to a buffalo. His internet is a myth.
The story follows Abhishek Tripathi (played by Jitendra Kumar), an engineering graduate who, failing to land a high-paying corporate job, begrudgingly accepts the position of Panchayat Secretary (Sachiv) in the remote village of Phulera, Uttar Pradesh. Abhishek’s initial outlook is one of pure resentment. He views Phulera not as a home, but as a temporary pitstop—a place to endure while he studies for the CAT exam to secure an MBA and escape his bleak reality.
Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5)
Watch it. Rewatch it. Then call your grandmother. Panchayat -tv Series- Season 1
(played by Jitendra Kumar), an urban engineering graduate who, due to a lack of better job opportunities, reluctantly accepts the position of Panchayat Secretary in the remote fictional village of , Uttar Pradesh.
Dignity of Work: Abhishek starts by mocking his job. By the end, he realizes that helping a farmer get a tube well or delivering an old letter is more meaningful than any case study in a business school. Panchayat Season 1: The Quiet Charm of Rural
Relatability: Anyone who has ever felt "stuck" in a job they didn't want will see themselves in Abhishek.
Vikas (Chandan Roy): The loyal and optimistic Office Assistant who becomes Abhishek’s primary guide to village dynamics. Abhishek Tripathi (played by Jitendra Kumar) Manbeer (played
Chandan Kumar and the TVF team understand one thing perfectly: conflict doesn’t have to be loud. The best moments in Panchayat Season 1 involve arguments over a 10-rupee note, a broken TV antenna, or the correct way to cook an egg. The dialogue feels unscripted—raw, local, and full of the unique rhythm of the Bhojpuri-Hindi belt.