Panchayat’s Jitendra Kumar on Unveiling Season 3: ‘It Feels Like Results of Exam are Going to Come’

“If you want to make Panchayat what it is then you'll have to give it time,” said director Deepak Kumar Mishra when asked why he’s made the audience wait so long for season three of Prime Video’s hit show Panchayat. Over the last two seasons, the show's unique approach to social commentary and its relatable characters have captured the hearts of audiences worldwide. Ahead of the highly-awaited third season, Film Companion had the opportunity to sit down with the show's director, Deepak Kumar Mishra, and lead actors Jitendra Kumar and Neena Gupta, to discuss their experiences, challenges, and the journey of bringing Panchayat to life.

Here are edited excerpts from the interview:

The expectations are high for this season. Is that a lot of pressure? 

Jitendra Kumar(JK): It feels like the results of your exams are going to come. There's nervousness, there’s excitement. We don’t let that pressure affect our work but there’s some nervousness for sure.

Neena Gupta (NG): When there’s a lot of expectation from the audience, toh thoda darr lagne lagta hai ki hum uspe khare utrenge ki nahi (you feel nervous to meet the expectations). But we have all worked very hard, so now let’s see. 

Deepak Kumar Mishra (DKM): I want to see how the audience reacts to this season, what they think of this progression — this is the natural graph of the story and the end will surprise you this time around also, we hope. 

Do you incorporate audience feedback into the show?

DKM: We get a lot of feedback in the form of tweets and comments, but the story needs to progress organically. Right now the natural progression after the first two seasons is that Phulera will be gearing up for their local elections — but this season is a prelude to the elections. 

How has the approach to your character changed from season one to season three?

NG: Whenever I’m shooting I have to tell myself, “Concentrate, concentrate, concentrate.” Like they say, “Evacuate. Evacuate. Evacuate.” Because I have worked for so long that I can hit false notes also and the audience will not really know. But when I see my work I know that this is false, it is not coming from the right place. I have a lot left to learn as an actor, because I lose my concentration. My effort is to concentrate when I go to shoot.

JK: The shooting is also so challenging that you can’t do it without concentration. You really have to concentrate. You can’t wing it.

What was the most difficult shot/scene from season three?

JK: There’s a set that we had that was in the middle of nowhere, there was not even a single tree in sight and we had created a house there where we had to shoot in 47-48C degree temperature. I think everyone who worked on that schedule fell sick … It’s a terrific thing that the crew managed to work even in such extreme conditions.

DKM: The dust, the heat was a lot — it is like working inside a microwave oven for 12 hours a day. It is very challenging.  

NG: There was a bike scene where I fall off the bike. It was very hot and there were small stones and I got injured. That was the most difficult day. 

What traits of your character do you most relate to?  

JK: For Sachiv ji, I think that there’s uncertainty in his professional life and he’s a little lost. I relate to such people, because I also feel lost and uncertain. 

NG: When I come back from shooting (after playing Manju Devi) sometimes I feel like her life is so simple and wonderful. There’s not a lot of tension, there are small tensions — ladki ki achhi jagha saddi ho jaye, lauki ki sabzi theek ban jaye (getting your children married off, making a good dish). The problems are small, our problems in the city are so big. But I like that simple life, she doesn’t have any ambitions, she finds happiness in small things like going to a fun fair. 

What do you most look forward to when you are returning to shoot a new season? 

NG: I look forward to having as many scenes as possible (laughs). 

JK: When we shoot in the village, the heat in the morning after 9:00 am is really bad. But around 4:00 pm the sun is going down, it is getting cooler, we take a chai break and that time is my favourite time of the day. It is what I most look forward to.

DKM: After spending so much time with the script, the thing I most look forward to, and what I’m most curious to see and excited about is how it will translate on screen. The script taking shape before my eyes is my favourite thing.