Known for exploring the brutal realities of India's caste system through films like Masaan and Homebound, filmmaker Neeraj Ghaywan has now weighed in on one of the country's most-loved web series, Panchayat. Despite calling the show's content impressive, he questioned its representation of rural India, pointing out the absence of lower-caste and Muslim characters.
Neeraj Ghaywan criticizes Panchayat
In a conversation with Yuvaa, the director questioned the show's representation of caste and its depiction of village life. "Take TVF, and they have been doing very good. And their shows are genuinely very good. And that's exactly why I have the problem. It's made by IIT-ians, who are supposed to be the most educated lot in this country. And every single show of theirs, since inception, has always had upper-caste characters. Not a single lower-caste person, not a single Muslim."
He continued, "Now, you, as this educated person, cannot take that responsibility. And, like, you know, if some old-timer makes a film, I get it. But, like, come on, try to understand this, you're educated, right? You cleared IIT, didn't you? You studied engineering for four years. So you should be able to understand that maybe it is not right to show it that way."
He added, "That you call this celebrated TV show of yours, Panchayat, which everybody thinks is the most authentic representation of villages. No, it isn't. You cannot create an entire village where only upper-caste names exist."
About Panchayat
Panchayat is one of TVF's most successful shows. It premieres on Amazon Prime Video and stars Jitendra Kumar, Neena Gupta, Raghubir Yadav, among others, in lead roles. The show has had four seasons so far.
About Neeraj Ghaywan
He made his directorial debut in 2015 with Masaan, starring Vicky Kaushal, Richa Chadha, and Shweta Tripathi. It received widespread acclaim and won two prizes at the Cannes Film Festival. His recent directorial venture was Homebound, starring Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa, and Janhvi Kapoor. Homebound was India's official entry for the Oscars but did not make it to the shortlist despite receiving highly positive reviews. The film follows two childhood friends who battle poverty, caste stigma, and religious discrimination.
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