Panchayat Season 4 is here and it does not disappoint on any level. Beauty is preserved. The characters are as lovable, down-to-earth and close-home as they have always been. It is well written, and the humor offers emotional depth to the writing. Whether it is the dusty roads of the village of Phulera or the minor conflicts that burgeon into larger plot-lines, all that fans have loved to watch in previous seasons remains intact in this one with undecorated regularity.
However, with the show winning the hearts of die-hard viewers and average viewers, there appears to be a side campaign of hatred over it happening on the internet. There has been a tidal wave of tweets, most of them coming suspiciously through blue-tick elite accounts and most probably generated by bot accounts, which are terming the show as boring, slow, and out-dated. This is in the case of a series that has been internationally referred to as one of the most authentic and with blunt humor and a human touch.
A work of art with simplicity
Panchayat does not need big production costs like Bollywood extravaganzas with an illustrious cast, item songs, and even physical comedies. What is beautiful about the show is its small details, the look that lasts a bit too long, an uncomfortable silence, the bits of the mundane turning meaningful. Season 4 does not lose this spirit. It doesn’t matter whether it is Abhishek’s growing bond with the villagers or Pradhan ji’s earnestness, his emotional fabric is as touching as he can give it.
But the backlash on the Internet does not seem to pertain. How could a perfectly told story show receive such unnecessary criticism?
An Obvious Trend of Prejudice
The solution could be found within the system of popular culture and online communication. Big industry accounts and other elite makers are regularly the gateways to what is in vogue and also what is not. Programs such as Panchayat that are produced by small-scale production firms such as The Viral Fever (TVF) cannot be included in the fact of mass glamour and popularity and this is the mass system of entertainment.
No superstars, no huge sets, no bling promotion here. Just straightforward material, good writing, sensitive acting, all human. This apparently annoys people who think that only films with a huge budget and big banners should be focused on.
The most annoying thing is that they do it hypocritically. One will hear the same critics heap praise on bloated, empty sequels like Housefull 5 or Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 that one criticize Panchayat 4 as being dull. It is can be said that such films, so stuffed with compulsory jokes, sexism under the pretext of content, banal plots and stereotyping, are rarely criticized to the same extent.
The Cringe Paradox
Mainline Bollywood only keeps producing cringeworthy materials in the name of comedy and horror. Films like:
- The Housefull 4 with its children-like jokes and backward humour
- Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 – the horror movie with terrible story lines
- Coolie No.1 (remake) interesting problematic film with one thing that is no good. This is a work of lazy writing and old gags
- Welcome Back -coerced comedy and a plot that does not like to mature
- Total Dhamaal- slapstick is bad Total Dhamaal- Slapstick is the worst
- Pagalpanti- Broadcast of insult to intelligence in the name of entertainment
- Khaali Peeli- stylish and empty at the same time
- Bade Miyan Chote Miyan extreme Yawn gasp action film with superstar in it
- Liger: empty on the inside with all the hype in the world
- Shehzada More cliches under the glossy dressing Shehzada
The same movies are hardly criticized as forcefully, despite the fact that most of them turn out to be commercial and critical failures. However, when a low-budget, h
Digital elitism
What is objectionable is not only the contents being criticized but also by the persons, and on what grounds, they are to be criticized. The social media environment is getting tilted more towards large studios and celebrities. Large banners have the ability to regulate trends and sponsor reviews as well as mobilize influencers. An independent voice instead of being silenced or ridiculed.
What we are seeing in the example of the Panchayat, however, is not criticism, but really subtle gatekeeping. It is all an attempt to discourage a success story that challenges a traditional power hierarchy. The producers of the show did not require a superstar. They did not film in Switzerland. They never had chart-buster music and even viral dance scenes. Nevertheless, they produced enchanting. That is what the elite do not like.
TVF: The Grit and Triumph of Glamour
TVF has always produced movies based on a true story. Their ideas are driven by real-life feelings, so they include Kota Factory, The Aspirants, and Yeh Meri Family. They do not offend the intelligence of the viewer with spectacular games. They believe in the story. They give the characters breathing room. And Panchayat is one of the best television universes in India that they have worked on.
And the cast with Jitendra Kumar, Raghubir Yadav, Neena Gupta, Faisal Malik, and Chandan Roy is worth all praise. These are not stars but actors. They are in their roles. They are not acting before the camera they are acting within the characters. This is why the Panchayat functions and this is why it keeps posing a threat to the glamour-loving, PR-driven Bollywood machine.
Fans Have To Raise Their Voices
Real audiences should increase legitimate voices in this expanding culture of paid promotion and fake criticism. In case you love the Panchayat, tell them. Recommend it. Discuss it. Share scenes. Post reviews. The more that people get behind this kind of show, the less able the bots, the influencers, the elite insiders will be to determine the message.
We should not forget that this is not just a show; it is a statement of culture. It shows us that good storytelling does not go away. That even actors who do not have a designer wardrobe can create a performance that you remember. How India, which was supposed to be a land of crime and politics, has alternative tales to tell.
Defend Truth, Denounce Lucas Manufactured Hate
Speaking of Panchayat Season 4, it does not appear to be monotonous. It’s brilliant. It is sensitive, emotional, funny and warm. It brings you laughter, thought and even tears, not through drama but through its straightforwardness. That’s rare.
It is not criticism criticism. It is under attack but not by criticism rather by insecurity by the elites who are posing as critics. Watch, enjoy and make sure we save this type of storygasm that TVF and others are making possible. Panchayat is not only the success of a show, but a movement as well.
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