Panchayat Season 4: Warmth returns, magic wavers

Phulera, our beloved village from India's Uttar Pradesh, returns with the village's familiar warmth and beloved characters we all grew to love since the 2020 Covid lockdown. 

Panchayat Season 4 landed bearing the immense anticipation built by the previous seasons through its character-driven plots and signature slow-burn narrative. 

However, although it did deliver the clap-worthy moments we deserved, it also buckled under the weight of expectations. The village, the characters and the banters remained, but did the magic falter just a little bit? Nevertheless, it's a journey you would not want to miss.

The plot continues its quirky dive into the chaotic politics of Phulera with the continuation of the arc of Pradhan Ji getting shot. Banrakas (Durgesh Kumar), the political rival of the current Pradhan Ji, flanked by his equally aggravating wife and his two dim-witted sidekicks, fuels the local power struggle with drama and schemes, which is comical yet frustrating. 

While these characters were intended to bring necessary comic friction, their predictability and repeated punchlines led to the narrative becoming draining rather than giving the show the antagonist it deserved.  

The arc of "Who Shot Pradhan Ji?" came really close to getting solved. The ex-Vinayak (Pankaj Jha), mentor of Banrakas, comes up with conspiracy theories that raise more questions instead of answering the already persisting ones. 

For me, the most delightful moment was when he discovers Pradhan Ji and his team hiding in the MLA's car, a classic Panchayat moment – raw, ridiculous and left me clapping at my laptop screen, much to the dismay of my wife. 

It was about time Rinki (Sanvikaa Pooja Singh) and Sachiv Ji (Jitendra Kuma) took a step forward as they finally started discussing their relationship and its future, bringing a much-needed tenderness to the story. However, with Sachiv Ji's CAT scores being declared and him beginning to prepare for his MBA, the possibility of his departure from Phulera looms. 

As refreshing as this new development was, it served as a distraction from the plot, leaving many to feel that it was unnecessary and forced, adding little to the story's development. 

Despite the repetitive characters and the slower pace, Panchayat Season 4 did not fall short in its performances. Neena Gupta (Manju Devi) and Jitendra Kumar's performance continued the emotional weight of the characters and provided moments of natural performance that led to the eventual cliffhanger, which has turned out to be the signature sign-off of the series. 

Yet, despite its stellar performance by the cast, the storytelling was slower than previous seasons, with repetitive punchlines and predictable outcomes. With Panchayat Season 5 scheduled to be released in 2026, one can only expect the production team to come up with a better pace. The soul of the plot is still there; finesse and freshness are required. 

Panchayat Season 4 will remind you why you fell in love with Phulera and its people – the warmth, nostalgia, and the heartfelt characters will always welcome you back. 

However, despite Season 4's drawbacks, fans should stay hopeful: Panchayat's story still has many chapters yet to be unveiled, and it could reclaim its spot among the subcontinent's most acclaimed dramas.