Thalaivettiyaan Paalayam Review: Is this comical Tamil drama worth watching?

Thalaivettiyaan Paalayam, streaming on the Amazon Prime Video app, is the Tamil version of the popular Hindi web series Panchayat. This version features Tamil comedian Abishek Kumar in the lead role while retaining the initial feeling and look. It has wonderful charm even though it has deviated from the tendency of making the dramatized web version of the original. With a well-structured touch of comedy and drama, the series also includes Chetan, Devadarshni Chetan, Niyathi, Anand Sami, Paul Raj in the pertinent roles.

Plot Overview:

In the series, an ambitious young man named Siddharth is an engineering graduate who has no options and goes back to school, that is, takes a low income job of a panchayat secretary in a small village of Thalaivettiyaan Paalayam. Given that he hails from an urban background, Siddharth has a hard time adapting to the villager’s lifestyle and to the very peculiar, though vaguely pleasant, villagers. This show revolves around the life of this ordinary man and his ordinary work, but rather extraordinary, excuses and circumstances which help him not only to get adapted to the people, but also to the conditions of a village.

Analysis:

It’s true that Thalaivettiyaan Paalayam is a remake of another film, but unlike the other versions, it establishes its own character with a South Indian touch. The viewer will dispose of the complexity and ambiguity of the show’s story and enjoy its comedy right away; it captures the daily life and troubles of the villagers. Abishek Kumar as Siddharth certainly leaves a mark, portraying the hopelessness and later the acceptance of the milieu.

Situated close to Tirunelveli, the rural setting is very real and not idealised in a way as to ermine the narrative. The supporting actors including Chetan and Devadarshni Chetan have contributing roles with both comedy and affection that make their chemistry practical. In their respective characters Anand Sami and Paul Raj also add quite a bit more shades of fun and complexity to the proceedings thereby making every scene that they appear in a delight.

It is very easy to follow the story thus making Thalaivettiyaan Paalayam a feel-good casual drama but one that is very captivating. Its advantage is actually in the character’s growth that is rather authentic and devoid of pretension and a story that strikes a good balance between hilarious occurrences and drama.

The dialogues in the play might be the weakest link even though all the characters and the storyline are done well. There is a great potential for better gud conversations but the show sometimes loses the chance to create memorable lines. Also, while the beautiful song is placed at the right time in the show, i.e. design dialogue with exposition, the background score in its entirety could have been much better and more useful by way of creating the right atmosphere for the situation since that too felt rather half-hearted.

Performances:

Sid, played by Abishek Kumar, has growth, struggle and inner character, but it is the side-actors that give strength to the plot. A married couple, Chetan and Devadarshni Chetan are so good in the scenes that they make it very easy for the audiences to imagine how life in the village would be. Anand Sami and Paul Raj too grab attention and are not outstanding but required in terms of humor and dramas.

Verdict:

Thalaivettiyaan Paalayam aims at putting you through a humorous experience by bringing the very essence of village life to the television set. The simplicity may disappoint the fans of the original Panchayat however, the Indian adaptation is quite nice too, only the Tamil version is better. In case you are in search of a simple and pleasant tale against the rural backdrop, go on dedicate some of a show’s time for this one.