Jitendra Kumar on ‘Panchayat’ and his acting career

When ‘Panchayat’ released about a week after the 2020 Covid lockdown, the web series offered a convenient escape from the unprecedented turn of events. For many, it started as a mindless watch. Headlined by Jitendra Kumar, who was then best known for his role in another ‘The Viral Fever’ (TVF) series, ‘Kota Factory’, ‘Panchayat’s success was as uncertain as the circumstances. Not anymore. Four years and two seasons later, the Amazon Prime show has a loyal following.

As the actor reprises his role as the village panchayat secretary for the third instalment (released May 28), he says, “I was quite sceptical if anyone would be curious to watch a show based in rural India. But more than the small-town audience, it struck a chord with urban as well as international viewers.”

Jitendra adds, “I have made conscious efforts to be as excited about this character as I was when I first played him. It takes a lot of work to not get repetitive. Every decade brings some change in cinema. Viewers no longer want fantasy, but are now seeking entertainment in reality; the mundanity of life and its struggles.”

Jitendra’s character, Abhishek Tripathi, is an engineering graduate who, after failing to crack it at the corporate game in the city, finds his way to Phulera, a remote village in Uttar Pradesh. Panchayat follows his journey as he adjusts to his life in the boondocks, and the villagers. The actor reveals that RK Narayan’s ;Malgudi Days; was the inspiration for the show, but to make it appealing to urban audiences, they made his character a city slicker. The narrative is told from his point of view, and offers a good dose of both nostalgia and novelty.