In a dramatic scene from Panchayat (premiered in 2020 on Amazon Prime), Abhishek, the protagonist, urges Rinky, a talented village girl from the village where he was stationed, to study for an MBA, insisting, 'You have the potential to do so much; let this village not hold you back.' This scene is an example of the conflict between urban aspirations and rural constraints and how OTT platforms are a narrative terrain for examining these conflicting realities. This paper explores how Panchayat illustrates the continuing tensions of a rapidly urbanizing India in a backdrop of rurality. The show highlights the competing pulls of urban advancement, symbolized by education and mobility, against the deeply ingrained values and opportunities tied to rural life. As small towns and villages increasingly become part of India’s “hidden urbanization,” these spaces navigate distinctive forms of “subaltern urbanization,” blurring the binary of ‘urban’ and ‘rural’ as theorized by Denis and Zérah (2017). Employing qualitative content analysis, this paper unpacks themes related to class disparities, gendered expectations, and shifting community dynamics within the broader context of India’s evolving socio-economic status. Drawing from the context of authors like Harriss-White (2002) and Pradhan (2017), the analysis also emphasizes how such narratives depict both structural barriers and transformative potentials embedded in small settlements. Through this study of Panchayat, this paper seeks to probe into how India’s small towns and villages, often accredited to the periphery of urban-centric discourse, are emerging as debatable yet vital spaces of cultural negotiation and socio-political change.

Authors:
Mrinal Singh, Christ University, India
Jyoti Prakash Pujari, Christ University, India

About the Presenter(s)
Mrinal Singh, Assistant Professor of Multi Media and Mass Communication, researches media, film, OTT and culture.

Connect on Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrinal-singh-abbb77175/

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