Jitendra Kumar reveals whether he had a fallout with Panchayat makers TVF: ‘There was a misunderstanding’

Jitendra Kumar, who reprised his iconic role as ‘Sachiv Ji’ in Panchayat season 3, has spoken out about allegations of a fallout with the show’s producers, The Viral Fever.

Jitendra Kumar, alias Jeetu, returns as ‘Sachiv Ji’ in season 3 of Prime Video India’s original show Panchayat. In an interview with India Today, the actor addressed previous rumors of a disagreement with the show’s creators and longstanding collaborators, The Viral Fever (TVF), which had fans wondering if he would return. (Also Read: Panchayat 3: What Makes Faisal Malik’s Grieving Prahlad Panday the Heart of This Season)

What Jeetu stated.
“There was a lot of panic, and I saw it all over social media. The previous season ended with Abhishek’s transfer, which fueled the buzz even further. There was a misunderstanding, and to be honest, answering the same questions would cause me difficulties. At one point, I was like, aur mat poochon, bandh karo yeh (don’t ask about it, just finish it now),” Jitendra remarked.

“Given my extensive history with TVF, people were concerned about what went wrong. “I understood it was their love, and we just waited for the first trailer to put an end to all speculation,” Jitendra continued. His character, Abhishek aka Sachiv Ji, is transferred from the town of Phulera (where the show is situated) at the end of season 2, fueling speculation that he may not return for season 3. Jeetu was also glaringly absent from the long-awaited second season of TVF Pitchers, which premiered on ZEE5 last year.

Jeetu and TVF
Jitendra Kumar began his career with a supporting part in TVF’s Permanent Roommates (2014), which many consider to be India’s first web series. He subsequently had a breakthrough with TVF Picthers the next year, where he played Jeetu, a character who shares his name. This was followed by a slew of TVF Originals, before he reclaimed attention with Netflix India Original Kota Factory (2019) and Prime Video India Original Panchayat (2020).

Jitendra also made his Bollywood debut in 2019, with the comedy Gone Kesh. He then played a parallel protagonist in Hitesh Kevalya’s love comedy Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan, alongside Ayushmann Khurrana. He also appeared in the Netflix India film Jaadugar in 2022.