Dupahiya

A crime free village, a stolen bike - wedding gift purchased by the Jha family to fulfil the groom's sole demand, the village trying to hold the record of no theft in the village by not lodging the police complaint and a family where not a single person thinks by the brain forms the premise of the new series streaming on #AmazonPrimeVideo This series will immediately give you a feel of #Panchayat and the series delivers the same innocence, purity and simplicity.

It is an 8-day journey in a village called Dhadakpur and everything that happens in the village. Writers Chirag Garg and Avinash Dwivedi have beautifully created this 8-day world of a village and its issues, be it dowry, inferiority complex of a dark skinned girl, son trying to seek validation from his father, a Kleptomaniac whom everyone addresses as a thief and so on.

Each and every character of Dupahiya is beautifully acted & written to become an integral part of the story. Be it #ShivaniRaghuvanshi who is torn between her dreams and her lover, #SparshShrivastava who has ambition of becoming superstar by going to city, #BhuvanArora trying to prove himself and also showing his love to the girl, #SamarthMahor who plays Teepu has got the best lines and is so innocent that you will fall in love with the character. #AvinashDwivedi who is the creator of the series and the groom is superb that one hates him for all he does, especially the last dialogue.

The best part of Dupahiya is that the senior actors #GajrajRao and #RenukaShahane - act as strong supporters rather than as leaders of the series. #YashpalSharma as a Police also makes his presence count from a bad to good person.

The writing and the direction makes you realise one thing clearly : they're filmy...far from reality !! The desperate accents of talented bunch of actors trying to be what they're not makes you feel sorry for them 'coz the writing lets them down and unable to achieve what Panchayat did...catch the 'soul ' rather than the body ! The director should've done better but wasn't accustomed to the sense of rawness and simplicity of village life which in itself is so powerful that you don't require a filmy situation to glorify the scenes but unfortunately the director repeatedly does so and it becomes heavy for the viewer...

This series revolves around the discussion of dowry in Indian rural settings. The practice of dowry has been banned for more than fourty years in India. However, it is still practiced out there in the open. It is so commonplace that people don't ever hesitate in either giving or taking dowry. This series showcases the lengths an Indian family can go to fulfill the dowry demands, yet no police officer penalizes the offenders/groom.

The storyline is quite good, specially the messaging at the end. However, some parts seem elongated, specially in the middle episodes. Moreover, the ending seems rushed and everything happens so fast that it becomes impossible to follow. I would like to applaud for the makers in trying to highlight this social evil.

If there's one thing that's hard for Dupahiya to escape, it's the massive shadow of Panchayat. Let's face it, Panchayat was a game-changer. It set a gold standard for rural-based comedy dramas, and the expectations from any new show trying to do something similar are bound to be sky-high.

Dupahiya, steps into this territory with a story set in the small village and honestly, it gives off Panchayat vibes in the first few minutes. The slow-paced, village-life charm, the ensemble cast, the small-town dynamics, it all feels familiar. But it's also quite different in its own right. It has a slightly more comedic, lighter tone, especially with its plot being more focused on the villagers' ridiculous, yet endearing, antics rather than the deeper, more grounded storytelling of Panchayat. The show does have moments where you think it could veer into that Panchayat-style emotional depth, but it stops short and keeps things breezy.

That said, the show does stumble in some areas. Take the entire subplot of getting the bike from Pintu bhai. Sure, it's meant to add some humor and build the tension, but it just feels unnecessarily prolonged. By the time the bike situation is resolved, you're not laughing as much as you're wondering why it took so long. The whole ordeal with Pintu bhai could've been trimmed down, and the story might've moved at a better pace.

This one bit where the characters dress up as women for a dance performance. It's clearly just there for laughs, but honestly, it feels a bit forced. It's the kind of humor that feels like the writers are trying too hard to push in that "random" comedy that we've all seen in countless shows.

However, It's a light, fun show with a good heart, and it ends on a solid note, which is a huge plus. The conclusion definitely shows that the creators know where they're going with the story, and it gives you hope that future episodes could be better.

As for the acting, the cast does a decent job, but Gajraj Rao, who plays the Jha family head, doesn't really seem to shine here. His performance felt a bit off, or maybe it was the plot that didn't give him enough room to flex his acting chops.

There's definitely potential here for the show. It's not Panchayat, but it's got a unique flavor of its own. For now, it's an enjoyable watch, but whether it can carve out a lasting legacy is something we will have wait and see.

This is a fantastic comedy web series that brings humour and heart portrayed via rural life of India. The quirky characters, witty dialogues, and hilarious scenarios make it a joy to watch. The chemistry between the cast is genuine, and the production quality is top notch. The roles played by Gajraj Rao, Yashpal Sharma and Sparsh Shrivastava in particular are very impressive. The story line is good if not new, and keeps the viewers engaged throughout. It's a perfect series for anyone looking to unwind and enjoy some quality laugh. Hope the creators have planned for next season which I'm eagerly waiting.