Jitendra Kumar plays a village secretary who solves local crises in “Panchayat,” a hit Indian sitcom that’s coming to Prime Video.

“Panchayat” is the subject of academic papers and media commentary on the ability of villagers in India to self-govern. The national government has used the cast to promote a digital accounting portal to real-life village officials.

How do you stop a tree from chasing after people?

It’s not a riddle. It’s a workplace challenge facing Abhishek Tripathi after he reluctantly takes a job as village secretary in Phulera, a small town in Uttar Pradesh, India.

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He soon faces a local government crisis — involving the aforementioned tree and the question of where to position 13 new solar-powered street lights that Phulera has received. 

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The town suffers from nightly blackouts, and Abhishek proposes installing the lights in Phulera’s darkest areas. But 12 elected officials — including the village pradhan (council leader) and his deputy — instead put lights next to their personal residences. 

Abhishek claims the 13th and final light for the village hall, where he works, sleeps and studies for MBA exams that could take him back to the city. But the pradhan orders that the light instead be placed in front of a haunted banyan........

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