Filmmaker Neeraj Ghaywan has criticized TVF and their popular web series Panchayat, pointing out that the show presents a highly sanitized version of rural India that erases caste and religious diversity. In a recent interview, the Masaan director argued that a show set in a village cannot realistically feature only upper-caste characters and ignore the lived realities of marginalized communities.
Ghaywan’s comments have sparked a debate about representation in Indian entertainment. He specifically questioned why TVF, a studio founded by IIT graduates, continues to produce content that overlooks caste and religious diversity.
Ghaywan’s Criticism of TVF and Panchayat
Speaking to Yuvaa, Neeraj Ghaywan expressed his concerns about the lack of representation in TVF’s shows. He acknowledged that TVF produces genuinely good content, which is precisely why he feels the studio has a responsibility to be more inclusive.
“Every single show of theirs, since inception, has always had upper-caste characters. Not a single lower-caste person, not a single Muslim.”
Ghaywan specifically called out Panchayat, which is set in the fictional village of Phulera, Uttar Pradesh. The show stars Jitendra Kumar as Abhishek Tripathi, an engineering graduate who reluctantly becomes the secretary of a gram panchayat.
“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.”
The filmmaker also criticized the creators’ educational backgrounds, noting that TVF is run by IIT graduates who should understand social issues better.
“Now, you, as this educated person, cannot take that responsibility. 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.”
The Debate Over Caste Representation in Panchayat
Ghaywan’s criticism echoes concerns that have been raised about the show’s portrayal of rural India since its earlier seasons. The show is set in a village where caste, class, and religion—which form a central axis of political life in rural India—are largely erased.
Critics have noted that the principal characters in Panchayat all carry surnames associated with upper castes, particularly Brahmins. These include:
- Jitendra Kumar as Abhishek Tripathi
- Raghubir Yadav as Brij Bhushan Dubey
- Neena Gupta as Manju Devi Dubey
- Chandan Roy as Vikas Shukla
- Faisal Malik as Prahlad Pandey
Meanwhile, the surnames of common villagers and marginalized characters are never revealed. The show’s fourth season, which released in June 2025, continued this pattern by replacing one Brahmin pradhan with another.
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Ghaywan’s Background and Commitment to Representation
Neeraj Ghaywan has consistently pushed for caste-conscious storytelling in Hindi cinema. He began his career assisting Anurag Kashyap on Gangs of Wasseypur (2012) and Ugly (2013) before making his directorial debut with Masaan (2015), which won two awards at the Cannes Film Festival.
His recent film Homebound (2025) touched upon inequality and the caste divide deeply rooted in India and was India’s official entry for the Oscars. Although it received critical praise, the film was a commercial disappointment, earning less than ₹5 crore against a budget of over ₹25 crore.
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