Panchayat Season 4 Review: Charm Dulls as Politics Takes Center Stage in Phulera

When Panchayat first debuted on Prime Video during the pandemic, it charmed audiences with its grounded storytelling, subtle humor, and endearing characters. The journey of Abhishek Tripathi (played by Jitendra Kumar) — a city-born engineer adjusting to life in the sleepy village of Phulera — felt authentic and universally relatable.

Now in its fourth season, Panchayat shifts gears, attempting to raise the political stakes with the gram panchayat elections at the heart of the plot. However, in aiming for a more complex narrative, the show seems to have drifted away from what made it so special in the first place.

A New Symbolism, But Weaker Punch

Season 4 centers on Manju Devi (Neena Gupta), the village chief who’s fighting to retain her position. She picks the lauki (bottle gourd) as her election symbol, while her main rival Kranti Devi (Sunita Rajwar) opts for the pressure cooker, a metaphor for the rising tensions simmering in the village.

On paper, the setup is ripe for satire and social commentary, but the execution feels stretched across the eight-episode arc. The political drama is toned down to harmless disputes and lacks the intensity or depth viewers might expect, even in a lighthearted show like Panchayat.

Missed Opportunities in Political Storytelling

In a country where elections often come with fierce debates, personal attacks, and high-stakes drama, Panchayat’s portrayal feels overly sanitized. What could have been a compelling clash of ideologies is reduced to minor squabbles — like who should clean a school toilet or how to frame catchy slogans.

While no one expected Mirzapur-level chaos, the show’s reluctance to explore the murkier sides of grassroots politics feels like a missed opportunity, especially from a series that once nailed rural authenticity.

Worse, the season delays its most crucial moment — the election result — until the second half of the finale, by which time viewer investment has begun to wane.

Underutilized Characters and Fading Chemistry

One of the biggest letdowns of the season is how it sidelines beloved characters. Vikas (Chandan Roy) and Prahlad (Faisal Malik), who once brought soul to the village dynamics, are barely given any narrative room. A quick subplot involving a police raid is hardly enough to bring them back into focus.

Similarly, the budding romance between Abhishek and Rinki (Sanvikaa) barely progresses. The few moments they share feel forced and lack the emotional weight built up in earlier seasons. Rinki’s own arc, which hinted at her ambition and independence, is all but abandoned.

To add to this, the major cliffhanger from Season 3 — Pradhan ji’s gunshot injury and the village clash with the MLA’s men—is brushed off within the first episode with a half-hearted resolution.

Performances Still Shine Bright

Despite its writing missteps, Panchayat Season 4 is held together by its stellar cast. Jitendra Kumar delivers a controlled, nuanced performance — though he now seems entirely at home in Abhishek’s shoes. Neena Gupta brings warmth and grit to her role, even if the script doesn’t allow her to explore its full potential.

Sunita Rajwar manages to make an impact despite limited screen time, while Pankaj Jha’s Banrakas continues to be as eccentric and entertaining as ever. Raghubir Yadav, as always, delivers a deeply affecting performance, especially in the season’s closing moments.

Final Thoughts

Panchayat Season 4 isn’t without its moments, but it lacks the spark and simplicity that made the show a breakout success. The political angle is undercooked, key characters are overlooked, and the pace feels slower than necessary.

Still, for loyal fans, there’s just enough heart and familiarity to stick with it—especially with a setup clearly paving the way for Season 5.