The OTT landscape has shifted sharply over the past few years. While the big platforms were pouring crores into dark thrillers, underworld sagas and edgy adult content, ‘The Viral Fever’, better known as TVF, flipped the mood entirely with its simple, grounded, family-friendly storytelling. The recently released ‘Gullak Season 5’ on Sony LIV once again brought the struggles and small joys of middle-class families to life through Santosh Mishra, Shanti, Annu and Aman, leaving viewers misty-eyed.
Right after ‘Gullak 5’ struck a chord, fans assumed TVF’s next move would be ‘Panchayat Season 5’. Instead, the makers pulled off a move nobody saw coming.
‘Gram Chikitsalay 2’ slips out on June 23
Sensing the rising excitement, TVF streamed the second season of its hugely popular and critically praised series ‘Gram Chikitsalay’ on Amazon Prime Video on June 23. The first part had already won audiences over with its distinctive theme, desi comedy and biting satire.
The story revolves around a village government hospital, a Primary Health Centre that is itself as sick and rundown as the system it represents. Medicines and resources are in short supply, yet the drama between patients and doctors is so quirky and funny that it leaves you laughing out loud.
The Amol Parashar and Vinay Pathak pairing shines
The biggest strength of ‘Gram Chikitsalay Season 2’ is its star cast and the terrific chemistry between them. The versatile Amol Parashar plays a young, modern, well-educated city doctor who is posted, against his wishes, to a hospital in a remote and backward village. His struggle to adjust to village life and his fight against the system are genuinely compelling.
On the other side, the seasoned actor Vinay Pathak plays a quack doctor. Every time he appears on screen, his superb dialogue delivery and facial expressions pull all the attention his way. The grassroots politics of the village makes this second season even sharper and more entertaining than the first.
No superstar, no vulgarity, still a winner
‘Gram Chikitsalay 2’ proves yet again that with a strong screenplay, well-written dialogue and a solid cast, you don’t need a big Bollywood superstar or vulgarity to hold an audience. Like every TVF series, you can watch this one comfortably in your living room with the whole family, parents and children alike. The makers have wrapped these serious issues in a light comic touch.
The wait for ‘Panchayat 5’ only grows
The moment ‘Gram Chikitsalay 2’ landed on Prime Video on June 23, social media was flooded with praise for the show, and the anticipation for ‘Panchayat Season 5’ shot to new heights. Every season of ‘Panchayat’ counts among the biggest blockbusters in OTT history. Fans of the world of ‘Sachiv Ji’ (Jitendra Kumar), ‘Pradhan Ji’ (Raghubir Yadav) and ‘Manju Devi’ (Neena Gupta) are now hoping that after ‘Gullak’ and ‘Gram Chikitsalay’, TVF’s next big hit will be all about the fresh panchayat and pradhan elections in Phulera village.
