As a serial binge-watcher, I strongly feel we need a word to describe the euphoric feeling that engulfs you—midway into a new series. For example, the emotion you feel after finishing a good book is called a ‘book hangover’.
There is, however, no word to describe the sadness, the loss, or the down-in-the-doldrums ache you feel when a series ends. The pain as the end credits of the season finale roll is all too real. Then begins the torturous wait for months and sometimes years for the next season to land.
I first faced this struggle when Game of Thrones had three seasons out, and somehow, I hadn’t seen a single second of the show, despite all the noise and hype around it. It was on my list of things to do, but it wasn’t till I was on a health retreat in a deserted winter town in Austria for a detox (with all the time in the world and nothing to do) that I began watching the series. In the one week I was there, I binge-watched all the seasons. And then, like everyone else, I waited for a new season.
Weekly episodes had to be watched right away. If one couldn’t, one had to avoid people and the internet, lest someone reveal a spoiler. Then, after you’d watched it, there would be discussions and debates. You’d read everything available on the series—the making-of, the fan theories, the actors... And you still couldn’t get enough. The series ended with the threat of that dreaded term: the final season. And then you go on the quest to find something new to fill the void, hoping it gives you the same high.
Panchayat Season 3 (Hindi)
Returning series are always more eagerly awaited than new ones. Because they are loved. The world is familiar. Besides, you know the characters like you know friends and family. Sometimes even more! Which is why I can’t wait for the return of Panchayat Season 3 on May 28. Season 2 ended on a gut-wrenching note when the widowed Prahlad Pandey (Faisal Malik), assistant pradhan of Phulera, breaks down on losing the only family he has left—his son—in a war. For a comedy drama, this was an unsettling climax indeed. It will be interesting to see what happens next. Meanwhile, the stamped lauki in the vegetable markets keeps things interesting—riding on the cliffhanger as the search for a new Sachivji begins when the old one retires to his books. The lauki, which has taken centre stage for the new season’s marketing strategy, is as unique as the show itself. Mark the date: Panchayat 3 will premiere in Hindi, with dubs in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada, on May 28.
Here’s a roundup of other beloved returning shows on Prime Video.
Mirzapur Season 3 (Hindi)
The well-acclaimed franchise about organised crime is dipped in blood and gore. Set in India’s hinterland, the crime thriller had taken the audience into a dark, yet captivating saga of power, revenge, ambition, politics, betrayals, deceit, and complex family dynamics. Think guns, macho men, and testosterone. These bad boys have endured and entrenched themselves in our collective minds despite their not-so-endearing qualities like greed, jealousy, and rage.
Deaths in the family (murders sound more fitting) remain the catalysts for even more murder and mayhem in both season finales of this series. Season 2 of this gangster saga, however, plays out as something of an in betweener between Season 1 and the upcoming Season 3. New characters are introduced, and a few are disposed of as well, with the stage being set for an all-out war.
Sharad Shukla (Anjumm Shharma ) is the behind-the-scenes puppeteer who almost gets what he wants in the Season 2 finale as he pits Munna (Divyenndu) against his father Akhandanand ‘Kaleen’ Tripathi (Pankaj Tripathi). Shatrughan Tyagi (Vijay Verma; in a double role as his identical twin Bharat) survives a shootout that results in the death of his maternal uncle and his brother Bharat (or so we’re led to believe). Kaleen remains King of Mirzapur in 1. Guddu (Ali Fazal) ascends the ‘throne’ in 2.
A new king in 3? Sharad Shukla seems hungry enough to join the fray. Shatrughan Tyagi, not as much. No matter what, this gangster drama promises to be a compelling watch because we all want closure. With Season 3, the stakes have gone a notch higher, and the canvas has become bigger. And to know what lies ahead. The big question prevails whether the throne or Gaddi of Mirzapur will be earned or snatched in a battle of power and dominance where trust is a luxury that no one can afford.
Paatal Lok Season 2 (Hindi)
Most shows end with a cliff-hanger to keep audiences thirsting for the next serving. Some series close with open endings to keep the viewer hankering. But the crime thriller Paatal Lok Season 1 ended with a suicide. It played out like the finale.
In the series replete with twists and turns, India’s three economic classes (upper, middle, and lower) stand in as metaphors for heaven (swarg), earth (dharti), and hell (paatal), as policeman Hathiram Chaudhary (Jaideep Ahlawat) investigates a case that might just be his undoing. Caught in the crosshairs of politics, primetime television, and rampant crime, the season sees him in pursuit of four hitmen, led by Vishal ‘Hathoda’ Tyagi (Abhishek Banerjee). He eventually makes his peace with the way things are, as the series wraps.
Hitman Tyagi shoots himself in the climax, knowing his beloved mentor, Masterji, is no more. It felt like the end. Everything was neatly wrapped. No questions were left unanswered. It was almost as if there was no sequel planned. So, curiosity is high to see where creator Sudip Sharma takes us now. The premiere date of Season 2 has not been revealed yet. What we do know is that Inspector Hathiram Chaudhary (Jaideep Ahlawat) is returning with rookie cop Ansari (Ishwak Singh), along with Gul Panag and Anurag Arora. The sequel will feature some new additions. Tillotama Shome and Nagesh Kukunoor join the cast. Since Season 1 came out in 2020, it might be a good idea to revisit the show to jog your memory.
Bandish Bandits Season 2 (Hindi)
Bandish Bandits is a one-of-a-kind series. A love story against the backdrop of two different styles of music, Bandish Bandits Season 1 had Radhe (Ritwik Bhowmik), a classical musician, falling in love with Tamanna (Shreya Chaudhry), a rebellious pop star. Music brings them together and drives them apart. The season ended in heartbreak when Tamanna left Radhe to find herself and pursue her musical dreams. Season 1 boasted a hit album with many classical Indian songs along with peppy pop numbers. The music is once again its biggest draw and something to look out for in Season 2. The new season will be directed by Anand Tiwari, and the cast includes Ritwik Bhowmik, Shreya Chaudhry, Sheeba Chaddha, Atul Kulkarni, Rajesh Tailang, and Kunaal Roy Kapur. The additional cast of Bandish Bandits Season 2 includes Divya Dutta, Rohan Gurbaxani, Yashaswini Dayama, Aaliyah Qureshi, and Saurabh Nayyar.
Suzhal - The Vortex Season 2 (Tamil)
If you loved the movie Vikram Vedha (starring R. Madhavan and Vijay Sethupathi), chances are you picked and watched Suzhal going not only by experience but also the reputation of creators Pushkar-Gayathri. The duo doesn’t disappoint in their endeavour to make a pulsating mystery-thriller that is set against the backdrop of an annual cultural festival in a local community yet has a global appeal. Free of any language barriers, Suzhal delves into the festival and the ties between a local community and their traditions, beliefs, and customs.
Written and created by the dynamic duo Pushkar and Gayatri and directed by Bramma and Anucharan M, the series stars Kathir, Aishwarya Rajesh, Sriya Reddy, and Radhakrishnan Parthiban in Season 1, which revolves around a kidnapping in small-town Tamil Nadu that culminates in a double murder, while a ten-day village festival plays out in the background. An investigation ensues, and everyone comes into suspicion until the nail-biting finish when it is revealed that the culprit is someone strikingly close to home.
Sakkarai (Kathir) and Nandini (Aishwarya Rajesh) reprise their roles as the cop and the avenging sister, who’s emerging from repressed childhood abuse. The buzz is that the new season will revolve around the murder of the lawyer who defends Nandini in court after the events of the Season 1 finale. Another festival for a local goddess will act as the backdrop. It will be interesting to see how this season plays out while harking back to the high points of the previous season.
