The eagerly anticipated new season of Panchayat has been released on Amazon Prime, much to the delight of fans waiting to see Sachiv Ji back on screen. Director Deepak Kumar Mishra has been widely praised for the entertaining third season. The cast’s performances are commendable, particularly Jitendra Kumar as Abhishek Tripathi, Sunita Rajwar as Kranti Devi, and Ashok Pathak as Binod.
Many viewers are captivated by the rural drama, which blends humor and joy. The series gently critiques several issues, such as the Gareeb Awas Yojna. However, it falls short in its portrayal of marginalized communities. Similar to many other directors from upper-caste backgrounds, Deepak Mishra depicts marginalized individuals as poor, backward, and lacking agency, always following the lead of upper-caste characters.
No Surnames for Binod, Bam Bahadur, and Jagmohan
A noteworthy detail in the series is that upper-caste characters are given surnames, such as Abhishek Tripathi as Sachiv Ji, Vikash Shukla as Panchayat Shahayak, Manju Devi Dubey as Pradhan, and Prahalad Pandey as Up-Pradhan. In contrast, marginalized characters like Binod, Jagmohan, and Bam Bahadur are not given surnames. Not only this, their names and locations tend to show viewers the cliched perspective of Savarns, where the Dalits and low castes remained obliged by the Savarnas.
Lack of Agency in Marginalized Characters
We cannot definitively classify Binod, Jagmohan, and Bam Bahadur as SC/ST/OBC, as the series does not specify their caste backgrounds. However, their portrayal suggests they are socially and educationally disadvantaged. In this season, Binod is consistently shown as a follower of Bhushan Kumar Sharma, lacking independence. He always defers to an upper-caste figure. For instance, when visiting the MLA’s house with other villagers, the MLA gives seats to Bhushan and his wife while Binod and his friend are made to stand outside.
Characters like Binod, Bam Bahadur, the cot maker, and the goat herder are always depicted in dirty and shabby clothes, lacking assertiveness. Although Bam Bahadur shows some resistance against the MLA, it is only with the support of Pradhan and Sachiv Ji, both belong to the Brahmin caste. Almost all the time, Bam Bahadur remained in the shadow of these two Upper Caste characters.
Marginals are Empowered Too
While it is true that marginalized communities often have lower education levels and face social and economic challenges, there are many examples of individuals from these backgrounds who have achieved success in the army, administration, and corporate sectors. They do not need upper-caste support to assert their rights. Why are the roles of Sachiv, Panchayat Sahayak, Pradhan, and Up-pradhan all filled by characters from a single caste? Why is the martyr depicted as a Brahmin? There are countless examples of marginalized individuals who have sacrificed their lives for the nation. Yet, Director Deepak Kumar Mishra chose to portray his own caste as the protagonist in Panchayat. Thus, this Panchayat can be entertaining, but this should be viewed as how it perpetuates caste biases of Savarnas where low castes remain just passive viewers of ‘Savarna Paternalism’ and how the worldview, struggle and agency of low castes are overshadowed by the ‘Savrana Gandhism’.
Ritu, (National Coordinator, AIOBCSA)
