After three much-loved seasons, Panchayat Season 4 is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video. The village-set series, often called a modern-day version of Malgudi Days, is widely admired for its rustic charm, simple storytelling, and relatable characters. Many fans consider it one of the finest Indian web series of recent times. But if you are under the impression that Panchayat holds the crown as the highest-rated Indian show, think again.
The immensely popular film and TV database portal IMDb houses a list of the Top 250 TV Shows of All Time, featuring critically acclaimed titles from across the globe — from Breaking Bad (top ranked), Chernobyl, and Game of Thrones to Sherlock and Narcos. While Panchayat proudly finds a place on this coveted list, it’s not India’s top entry. Surprisingly, two other Indian series are ranked even higher.
The Two Indian Shows That Outrank Panchayat On IMDb Top 250
As of now, Panchayat holds Rank 66 on IMDb’s Top 250 TV Shows list, with a solid overall IMDb rating of 9/10. And the two Indian shows that have outranked Panchayat are Scam 1992 (Rank 30) and TVF Pitchers (Rank 59). Read on to find out more about the shows and where to stream them.
Plot: Set in the 1980s and 90s Bombay, the financial crime thriller follows the rags-to-riches story of the infamous stockbroker Harshad Mehta (played by Pratik Gandhi) and how financial journalist Sucheta Dalal (played by Shreya Dhanwanthary) exposed India’s biggest financial scam, which shook the nation.
2. TVF Pitchers
IMDb Top 250 Rank – 59
IMDb Rating – 9.1/10
Creator – Arunabh Kumar
Streaming On – Zee5
Plot: The plot revolves around four close friends, Naveen, Jitu, Yogi, and Mandal, who decide to leave their stable corporate jobs to pursue a bold dream — building their own startup. As they take the plunge into the unpredictable world of entrepreneurship, they must overcome several hurdles, like funding troubles and self-doubt. It features Naveen Kasturia, Arunabh Kumar, Jitendra Kumar, and Abhay Mahajan, among others.
3. Panchayat
IMDb Top 250Rank – 66
IMDb Rating – 9/10
Creators – Deepak Kumar Mishra, Chandan Kumar
Streaming On – Amazon Prime Video
Plot: The underlying story of Panchayat revolves around an engineering graduate, Abhishek Tripathi (played by Jitendra Kumar), who reluctantly accepts the post of Secretary of a panchayat office in a remote village of Uttar Pradesh. How he deals with the village’s everyday problems while studying for an MBA entrance exam carries the story forward. Later, he forms a bond with the village Pradhan-Pati (played by Raghubir Yadav), his loyal assistant Vikas (played by Chandan Roy), the Up-Pradhan Prahlad (played by Faisal Malik), the actual Pradhan Manju Devi (Neena Gupta), and Manju Devi’s daughter and his romantic interest Rinki (Sanvikaa).
