Sivarapalli is a Telugu comedy-drama web series that was released on Amazon Prime Video on January 24, 2025, and is an official remake of the super hit Hindi series Panchayat. Directed by Bhaskar Maurya and written by Shanmukha Prashanth, the series stars Rag Mayur, Muralidhar Goud, Rupa Lakshmi, Uday Gurrala, Sunny Palle, and Pavani Karanam in the lead roles. Produced by The Viral Fever (TVF), the series has 8 episodes, an average runtime of 35 minutes, and is streaming in 240 countries in Telugu with English subtitles. With music by Sinjith Yerramilli, cinematography by Vasu Pendem, and a U/A rating, the series attempts to portray rural life in Telangana with humor and heart-warming moments. How did Panchayat fans feel about this remake? Let's see my feelings, highlights, and shortcomings in this review
What's in the story?
Shyam Kumar (Raag Mayur), an engineering graduate from Hyderabad, prepares for the GMAT exam with the dream of settling in America. But, lacking job opportunities, he reluctantly accepts the job of Panchayat Secretary in a remote village called Sivarapalli in Telangana. Shyam, who is initially frustrated with the rural life and slow-paced routines, works with Sarpanch Sushila (Rupa Lakshmi), her husband Mitta Sudhakar (Muralidhar Goud), assistant Naresh (Sunny Palle), and deputy Sarpanch Mallikarjun (Uday Gurrala) to solve the problems of the villagers. Shyam develops a connection with village life through humorous and heartwarming incidents like the campaign slogan “He who does not educate girls is an ass”, scolding a teacher who smokes marijuana, electricity problems in the village, and teaching Sushila the national anthem for Republic Day. This is the story of Shyam’s self-discovery and how he built a bond with the villagers.
My Feelings: An impressive remake, but missing the magic of the original!
Those who have seen Panchayat will feel, “Hey, this is the same story, let’s see how it will be with a Telangana touch!” after watching the trailer of Sivarapalli. After watching the first two episodes, the rural Telangana atmosphere, local slang, Rag Mayur’s frustration, and Muralidhar Goud’s comedy timing were very impressive. As a user on X wrote, “I liked Sivarapalli without vulgarity, close to reality, with humor and sensitivity!” I agree with Anna's sentiment. Reviews from Times of India (3.5/5) and OTTPlay (3.5/5) praised the performances and realistic setting of the series, but criticized the similarities with the original, lack of local flavor, and slow pace. While the 8.6/10 rating on IMDb indicates a good response to the series, Panchayat fans felt that it was a "scene-to-scene copy" and failed to touch deeply on the issues of Telangana. As per the India Today review, the lack of originality in the script and the underdeveloped character arc of Shyam were disappointing.
Technical aspects, acting
Technically, Sivarapalli is impressive. Vasu Pendem's cinematography captures the rustic charm and natural beauty of Telangana villages brilliantly. Sinjith Yerramilli's music gives life to the emotional scenes, but the Panchayat BGM lacks impact. Shanmukha Prashanth's dialogues are crisp and humorous with Telangana slang, for example, the wedding scene dialogue "A** ha**" made me laugh. Although the editing is smooth, the 35-minute episodes sometimes feel slow. The production values are rich by TVF standards, and the village setting is realistic.
Raag Mayur (Shyam) is the strength of the series in acting. He impressed in Veeranjaneyulu Vihara Yatra, and showed the frustration of a Hyderabadi youth and the transformation he undergoes as he gets used to village life with subtle acting. Muralidhar Goud (Sudhakar) made the scenes lively with his comedy timing and Telangana accent, with a Times Now review calling him a “show stealer”. Sunny Palle (Naresh) provided comic relief as the lazy assistant, his body language was laughable. Rupa Lakshmi (Susheela) was impressive in the emotional scenes towards the climax, but felt a little lacking compared to Panchayat Neena Gupta’s impact. Uday Gurrala and Pavani Karanam did decently in supporting roles. As a user on Reddit said, “The dialogues and slang seemed relatable to the Telangana audience, but it connected a little less to the Andhra people.”
Likes and Dislikes
Likes:
Raag Mayur's performance: He showed frustration and transformation as Shyam naturally.
Muralidhar Goud's comedy: He elevated the scenes with comedy and slang as the Sarpanch's husband.
Telangana setting: The rural atmosphere, slang, and visuals were realistically impressive.
Sinjith BGM, Vasu's cinematography: The emotions and beauty of the village were well elevated.
Humor, emotions: Scenes like the wedding scene and Sushila's national anthem made me laugh and touched my heart.
Dislikes:
Scene-to-scene copy of the original: Panchayat is predictable and lacks originality for those who have seen it.
Lack of Telangana flavor: It could not touch the local problems and culture deeply.
Slow pace: Some episodes dragged, a tighter screenplay was needed.
Underdeveloped characters: Shyam Ark and Sushila's characters could have been more in-depth.
Final episode: The climax ended simply and without impact.
Who can watch it?
A feel-good watch for Telugu audiences who haven't seen Sivarapalli Panchayat, for fans of Rag Mayur and Muralidhar Goud, and for those who like slice-of-life comedy dramas. With a U/A rating, there are mild comedy and emotional scenes, so family audiences, youth, and OTT lovers can enjoy it. On Reddit, Telangana audiences felt the series was "relatable and authentic", but there are comments that Andhra people connected less. Those who like rural dramas like Kambalpalli Kathalu and Mail may like this series. However, those who have seen Panchayat will miss the original charm and emotional depth in this series. The sentiment posted on X, “Sivarapalli is good among Amazon web series, watch it” is showing a positive response to the series. Streaming on Amazon Prime with Telugu and English subtitles, this series is suitable for binge-watching in free time.
Rating: 3.25/5
Sivarapalli Raag Mayur, Muralidhar Goud impressed with stellar performances, Telangana rural atmosphere, organic humor, and realistic visuals. However, the scene-to-scene similarity with Panchayat, the lack of deep touching on local issues of Telangana, the slow pace, and the underdeveloped character arcs have made the series a half-success. Bhaskar Maurya has recreated the essence of Panchayat, but he has not been able to give the Telugu audience the full “Teluguness” feel. For those who have not watched Panchayat, this series is a fresh, feel-good experience, but for the original fans, it is a half-disappointment. A decent addition to Telugu OTT content, but it lacks the level of impact of authentic Telugu dramas like Mail!
Release Date: January 24, 2025 (Amazon Prime Video)
Director: Bhaskar Maurya
Writer: Shanmukha Prashanth
Cast: Rag Mayur, Muralidhar Goud, Rupa Lakshmi, Uday Gurrala, Sunny Palle
Rating: U/A (Mild Comedy, Emotional Drama)