Panchayat has emerged as one of the best web series we can sit and watch with our families. The show does not stereotype villages, nor does it portray the lead as a messiah. Directed by Deepak Mishra, the show has become an audience favourite because of its clean comedy, simple characters, and slice-of-life approach.
Here are 11 facts about the show that will make you want to rewatch it (or watch it, in case you have not).
1. The show was initially titled ‘SDO Saheb‘.
In an interview, Deepak Mishra narrated how he was inspired by hit Doordarshan shows like Malgudi Days, Tenali Rama, and Swami. But with time, the makers switched to a panchayat setting, and ultimately the show was named Panchayat.
2. He is the director of Panchayat. Deepak Kumar Mishra is famous for his spoof of Raghu Ram in Rowdies. He has also directed Permanent Roommates Season 2 and Humorously Yours Season 2.
3. Talking about Mishra, he has also done a small cameo in Panchayat. We leave it to you to find out in which episode.
Amazon Prime Video
4. The show is shot in an actual village and in a real panchayat office.
The show was shot in the Mahodiya village of Sehore district in Madhya Pradesh. The water tank where Abhishek and Rinky first meet is actually named Rinki Ki Tanki on Google Maps, after the success of the show.
5. The cinematographer, Amitabha Singh, is the same person who has given Bollywood gems such as Khosla Ka Ghosla, and Chillar Party, to name a few.
7. Vikas (played by Chandan Roy), who plays the role of the ever-present Sahayak, was initially not even confirmed for that role. Rather he was selected for a small role. Later, the makers of the show decided to make him audition for Vikas. And they loved it.
8. Faisal Malik, who plays the role of Prahlad Pandey, runs a production company – Hamari Film Company. He has worked on Revolver Rani and Main Aur Charles as a producer.
Amazon Prime Video
9. To make the characters look more authentic, costume designer Priyadarshini Majumdar bought clothes for everyone from the local markets. But after the first wash, those clothes shrunk. She had to, then, resort to looking for similar costumes from various brands.
10. Satish Ray, Abhishek’s US return friend Siddharth, has written sketches for TVF. He is known for his character ‘Imaandar Sharma’ – a character on his own YouTube channel.
11. Panchayat is not the first time Pradhan Ji and Manju Devi have been paired together. Neena Gupta and Raghubir Yadav were also seen together in 1982.