'Misunderstanding': 'Panchayat's Jitendra Kumar on alleged rift with TVF
What's the story
Jitendra Kumar, renowned for his portrayal of Sachiv Ji in Amazon Prime Video's Panchayat, recently addressed rumors of a disagreement with the show's creators and his longtime collaborators, The Viral Fever (TVF).
Speaking to India Today, he acknowledged a "misunderstanding" that sparked widespread speculation about his return to the series.
"There was a lot of panic and I could see that all over social media," said Kumar.
Fan speculation
The rumors troubled Kumar
Kumar clarified that the rumors were fueled by his character Abhishek's transfer from Phulera at the end of Season 2, leading to speculation about his return for Season 3.
"There was a misunderstanding, and honestly, main bhi pareshan ho jata tha (I, too, would get troubled) answering the same questions. At one point, I was like aur mat poochon, bandh karo yeh (don't ask about it, end it now)."
Kumar, fortunately, is a part of the recently released Season 3.
Rumor dismissal
Kumar waited for 'Panchayat' S03 trailer to quash all speculations
Despite the rumors of a rift between him and TVF after Season 2 of Panchayat aired, Kumar confirmed that he was already shooting for Season 3.
He stated, "Given I have had a long association with TVF, people were worried about what went wrong. I understood it's their love and we just waited for the first trailer to end all speculations."
Notably, the rumors found some weight also because he was absent from the second season of TVF Pitchers.
'Panchayat'
Know more about the series
The beloved series is set in the fictional town of Phulera in Uttar Pradesh and traces the journey of IIM aspirant Abhishek, who is employed in the village as the secretary.
Though unwilling to settle into rural life initially, he gradually warms up to the place and its people, even finding potential life there.
The show stars Raghubir Yadav, Neena Gupta, and Chandan Roy.
The new season dropped on Tuesday.
Career path
Kumar's journey from TVF to Bollywood
Kumar began his acting career with a supporting role in TVF's Permanent Roommates in 2014.
He gained popularity with TVF Pitchers where he played a character named Jeetu and then found a larger audience through Netflix's Kota Factory in 2019 and Prime Video's Panchayat in 2020.
Kumar made his Bollywood debut in the comedy Gone Kesh in 2019 and later played a parallel lead role opposite Ayushmann Khurrana in Hitesh Kevalya's romantic comedy Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan.