Gram Chikitsalay S02

Season 2 of this rural-com returns with its low stakes, lo-fi storytelling, in which the TVF mandate– keep it cosy, bro– stays comfortably uppermost. No surprises then that our idealistic doctor stays the course, even as the clashes between the twain– the citified outsider and the set-in-their-ways villagers– continue. Also back in harness are his little unit of compounder, nurse and helpers, the colleague-turning-into-friendly-companion, the rival local quack, and the gaonwalas themselves, slowly if reluctantly, understanding the value of a real ‘daaktar saab’ who can actually save lives.

With Panchayat going downhill, you’d think Gram Chikitsalay would be looking to forge its own identity after acting like a stalker in its first season. But the essence of “TVF Rural Universe” goes beyond the template of an idealistic urban character arriving to work in a ramshackle village full of idiosyncratic residents, aggressively colourful dialects, mundane conflicts and backward mindsets. The shared formula is more of an excuse to make the same series twice over. It’s a bit like watching a famous South Indian director making his Bollywood debut by remaking — or culturally adapting — his biggest hit. The remake always looks more rehearsed, functional, designed, and bereft of spontaneity.