Panchayat 2 Review: Jitendra Kumar, Raghuvir Yadav show is the laughter ka 'paracetamol' we needed

Panchayat Season 2 premiered a day before its scheduled release date, on May 18, on Amazon Prime Video. The series stars Jitendra Kumar, Raghuvir Yadav, Neena Gupta in lead roles.

"Yeh sab naachna vaachna chhod kyun nahi deti," asks Abhishek (Jitendra Kumar) to the nauch girl. She waits, asks if he likes his work as the Panchayat secretary, and when he informs her that he doesn't, she retorts, "Matlab aap bhi ek tarah se naach hi rahe hain." She goes on to sum up all our lives, "Har koi kahin na kahin naach hi raha hai." After all, aren't we all kind of dancing to the tunes of life? Quite a heavy-duty thought for a light-hearted show like Panchayat, right? Perhaps a much-needed one to wake us up from our stupor.

Panchayat Season 2 picks up from where it was left in the first season. While most things remain the same in Phulera village, including the Pradhan gifting laukis to Abhishek and hanging out over a pint of beer under the night sky, some things have changed. Unlike the first season, where Manju Devi's (Neena Gupta) was too shy to step out of her ghoonghat, this time she is willing. Brij Bhushan AKA Pradhan Pati (Raghuveer Yadav), however, is still reluctant to involve her in panchayati work. Also, every house in Phulera now has a toilet and the village has CCTV surveillance. Even as their issues remain as small - or big - as a lost goat or stolen chappals.

Phulera also has a love angle now. Sahayak Vikas (Chandan Roy), much like us, seems an inquisitive viewer in the first few episodes, wanting to know what's brewing between Abhishek and Rinki (Sanvikaa). He even concludes that the two are dating. But, no there is time for their love story to blossom. From being an invisible character to suddenly appearing in the last episode of Season 1, to now becoming an integral part of Season 2, Sanvikaa's Rinki is certainly part of what new this season offers.

Watch Panchayat 2 trailer here:

Jitendra Kumar as Abhishek is still a bit disappointed with life - stuck in a place like Phulera with Rs 20,000 salary, while his foreign-return friend Siddharth (Satish Ray) has bagged a Rs 1.5 crore package at an MNC. Siddharth, however, feels Abhishek is doing a noble deed as Panchayat secretary and romanticises his life in Phulera. That is until he has to spend a sleepless night in Phulera.

However, Abhishek is happier this time. He frowns less and smiles more. And has struck up a nice friendship with his assistant Vikas and Up-Pradhan Prahlad (Faisal Malik). Together they are quite a team, who make it even looking for snakes fun.

Now, politics has always been a part of Phulera gaon, but this season, viewers will witness a clash of politics. Bhushan AKA the Banrakas (Durgesh Kumar) is trying to meddle with Panchayat's work. He wants his wife, Pintu ki Mummy (Sunita Rajawar) to contest for Pradhan elections next time. He is probably still vexed about the population control slogan - Do Bachche Hain Meethi Kheer, Usse Zyaada Bawasir. Gullak's Bittu ki Mummy is Panchayat's Pintu ki Mummy, and Sunita effortlessly slips into both in this TVF universe.