'Panchayat,' a 2020 show about an engineer who takes up a government job in a remote village, became an instant hit upon its release and now the team is confident that the sequel will be a worthy successor of the original story.
The only way to deal with the pressure that comes with following a successful show is to retain the essence of the original, the show's director Deepak Kumar Mishra said at the trailer launch of the Amazon Original show.
"The only way to stand out is with your work. What worked for season one was the content, its simplicity, the natural performances, the storytelling."
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He added, "In season two, there is pressure, there is audience expectations. But we won't be able to achieve anything if we crumble under pressure. So we did what we know best: hard work."
Mishra said that season two of the show "will go a notch higher" and receive a response similar to the first season.
'Panchayat' season two, set to premiere on Prime Video on May 20, sees the return of its original cast members, including Jitendra Kumar, Raghubir Yadav and Neena Gupta.
At the trailer launch of the show, Jitendra Kumar, best known for his role in 'Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan' and at the centre of the drama in 'Panchayat,' said the series will also feature new characters.
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"We have played in the same zone of season one but tried something new. There are additions of new characters as well. This time, we have delved deeper into the village and panchayat, the way it works, what all happens. So we have tried to show a lot of humorous drama. I hope the audience really likes it," the 31-year-old told reporters.
The first season followed the life of Abhishek (played by Jitendra) an engineering graduate, who joins as a Panchayat secretary in a remote village Phulera of Uttar Pradesh due to lack of better job options in the city.
According to a synopsis shared by the streamer, the returning season will take the audience "through the hilarious and tumultuous journey" of Abhishek.
Writer Chandan Kumar said "some pressure" is good but there was "nothing to be scared of" while writing season two.
"When we made season one, we were clear how to take it ahead. It wasn't that we didn't know what to do next. When we got a go ahead, we started working. Some pressure is, of course, always there," the writer added.
[With Inputs From PTI]
