Dupahiya Review: The nine-episode series Dupahiya is directed by Sonam Nair, known for helming the coming-of-age dramedy Gippi, the terrorism drama series Kaafir, and the Netflix show Masaba Masaba. With Dupahiya, the director ventures into rural territory with a comedy about a stolen bike and a village’s attempts to conceal the crime for their own selfish reasons. In terms of its aesthetics, Dupahiya feels like a louder, more boisterous cousin of TVF’s beloved Panchayat, but this tone works well for the show, which also benefits from its stellar casting. While the nine episodes occasionally feel stretched for this mini-series, especially when the humour doesn’t always land, you’re still in for an entertaining watch that is surprisingly insightful. ‘Dupahiya’: Prime Video Announces Release Date for Sonam Nair’s Comedy Series, Starring Gajraj Rao and Renuka Shahane.
Set in Dhadakpur, a fictional village in Bihar, the story revolves around a unique record: the village hasn’t reported a single crime in 24 years. However, we soon learn that this isn’t because crimes don’t occur - it’s because the panchayat resolves issues internally, ensuring they never reach the police station. Dhadakpur is a village where everyone has their own desires. The village head, Pushpalatha (Renuka Shahane), is determined to maintain the crime-free record while also vying for the sarpanch elections. Her educated but dark-skinned daughter, Nirmal (Komal Kushwaha), dreams of fairness and needs money for skin-lightening surgery.
A Still From Dupahiya Trailer
The focus is of course on the Jha family, each member harbouring their own aspirations. Bhanwari Jha (Gajraj Rao) wants to secure his daughter’s marriage and make his position as the local school’s principal permanent. His daughter, Roshni (Shivani Raghuvanshi), yearns to live in a city and is willing to marry anyone who can make that dream come true. Bhanwari’s son, Bhugol (Sparsh Shrivastava), is obsessed with creating viral reels to kickstart his acting career. Bhugol’s best friend, Teepu (Samarth Mahor), pines for Nirmal’s affection. Meanwhile, Roshni’s kleptomaniac ex, Amavas (Bhuvan Arora), still carries a torch for her.
Watch the Trailer of 'Dupahiya':
When Roshni meets a prospective groom from Mumbai, she pressures her family to agree to the marriage. However, the groom, Kuber (Avinash Dwivedi), has his own demand: a Royal Enfield bike worth three lakhs as dowry.
Dupahiya Review: The nine-episode series Dupahiya is directed by Sonam Nair, known for helming the coming-of-age dramedy Gippi, the terrorism drama series Kaafir, and the Netflix show Masaba Masaba. With Dupahiya, the director ventures into rural territory with a comedy about a stolen bike and a village’s attempts to conceal the crime for their own selfish reasons. In terms of its aesthetics, Dupahiya feels like a louder, more boisterous cousin of TVF’s beloved Panchayat, but this tone works well for the show, which also benefits from its stellar casting. While the nine episodes occasionally feel stretched for this mini-series, especially when the humour doesn’t always land, you’re still in for an entertaining watch that is surprisingly insightful. ‘Dupahiya’: Prime Video Announces Release Date for Sonam Nair’s Comedy Series, Starring Gajraj Rao and Renuka Shahane.
Set in Dhadakpur, a fictional village in Bihar, the story revolves around a unique record: the village hasn’t reported a single crime in 24 years. However, we soon learn that this isn’t because crimes don’t occur - it’s because the panchayat resolves issues internally, ensuring they never reach the police station. Dhadakpur is a village where everyone has their own desires. The village head, Pushpalatha (Renuka Shahane), is determined to maintain the crime-free record while also vying for the sarpanch elections. Her educated but dark-skinned daughter, Nirmal (Komal Kushwaha), dreams of fairness and needs money for skin-lightening surgery.
A Still From Dupahiya Trailer
The focus is of course on the Jha family, each member harbouring their own aspirations. Bhanwari Jha (Gajraj Rao) wants to secure his daughter’s marriage and make his position as the local school’s principal permanent. His daughter, Roshni (Shivani Raghuvanshi), yearns to live in a city and is willing to marry anyone who can make that dream come true. Bhanwari’s son, Bhugol (Sparsh Shrivastava), is obsessed with creating viral reels to kickstart his acting career. Bhugol’s best friend, Teepu (Samarth Mahor), pines for Nirmal’s affection. Meanwhile, Roshni’s kleptomaniac ex, Amavas (Bhuvan Arora), still carries a torch for her.
Watch the Trailer of 'Dupahiya':
When Roshni meets a prospective groom from Mumbai, she pressures her family to agree to the marriage. However, the groom, Kuber (Avinash Dwivedi), has his own demand: a Royal Enfield bike worth three lakhs as dowry.
A Still From Dupahiya Trailer
The Jha family scrambles to gather the money and buy the bike, but eight nights before the wedding, it’s stolen by a mysterious stranger while Bhugol is using it to film a reel. Bhanwari finds himself in a dilemma: he must recover the bike before the wedding, but he can’t report the theft without jeopardising the village’s pristine record.
‘Dupahiya’ Review - Satirical Exploration of Pressing Matters
What makes Dupahiya engaging is its eclectic mix of characters, the humour derived from quirky situations, and the subtle subtexts woven into the crises they face. While the show maintains a light-hearted tone, it doesn’t shy away from addressing serious societal issues. For instance, it critiques the dowry system, which, though illegal, continues to burden families striving to meet the demands of inflated egos.
A Still From Dupahiya Trailer
The show also explores the urban-rural divide, particularly how women often see cities as spaces of freedom, while men prefer the familiarity of village life. This is made evident in a scene that features Amavas complaining to Roshni about Delhi’s pollution and adulteration, while at home, he lounges in bed, leaving the household responsibilities to his hardworking sister-in-law.
Nirmal’s obsession with fair skin is another poignant thread, reflecting the struggles of women who face constant scrutiny over their complexion, even from their own families, and how it impacts their marriage prospects. Dupahiya also delves into the system’s need to control narratives, the youth’s obsession with social media reels, what society assumes masculinity to be, and the importance of women’s education and self-reliance. Chirag Garg and Avinash Dwivedi’s screenplay is packed with enough gags to keep you smiling, especially during the Jha family’s frantic attempts to hide the bike theft from their future in-laws. Panchayat Season 3 Review: Jitendra Kumar and Neena Gupta's TVF Series Loses Its Witty Flair in Struggle to Balance Satire and Sentiment.
A Still From Dupahiya Trailer
While the show’s wedding track moves along towards a predictable conclusion, the mystery surrounding the bike theft keeps you guessing, with suspects shifting constantly. The plot thickens with the introduction of Tundurpur cop Mithilesh (Yashpal Sharma, in a brilliant performance), a lazy yet sharp inspector determined to file an FIR for the theft.
‘Dupahiya’ Review - Excellent Performances
The cast is exceptional, with standout performances from Sparsh Shrivastava as the fame-hungry Bhugol and Bhuvan Arora as the lovelorn Amavas, whose romantic moments with Roshni are unexpectedly heartfelt. The duo steals the show during a hilarious ‘item song’ sequence, while also being a satirical jab at how human lives often hold less value than material possessions in society.
A Still From Dupahiya Trailer
The show also explores the urban-rural divide, particularly how women often see cities as spaces of freedom, while men prefer the familiarity of village life. This is made evident in a scene that features Amavas complaining to Roshni about Delhi’s pollution and adulteration, while at home, he lounges in bed, leaving the household responsibilities to his hardworking sister-in-law.
Nirmal’s obsession with fair skin is another poignant thread, reflecting the struggles of women who face constant scrutiny over their complexion, even from their own families, and how it impacts their marriage prospects. Dupahiya also delves into the system’s need to control narratives, the youth’s obsession with social media reels, what society assumes masculinity to be, and the importance of women’s education and self-reliance. Chirag Garg and Avinash Dwivedi’s screenplay is packed with enough gags to keep you smiling, especially during the Jha family’s frantic attempts to hide the bike theft from their future in-laws. Panchayat Season 3 Review: Jitendra Kumar and Neena Gupta's TVF Series Loses Its Witty Flair in Struggle to Balance Satire and Sentiment.
A Still From Dupahiya Trailer
While the show’s wedding track moves along towards a predictable conclusion, the mystery surrounding the bike theft keeps you guessing, with suspects shifting constantly. The plot thickens with the introduction of Tundurpur cop Mithilesh (Yashpal Sharma, in a brilliant performance), a lazy yet sharp inspector determined to file an FIR for the theft.
‘Dupahiya’ Review - Excellent Performances
The cast is exceptional, with standout performances from Sparsh Shrivastava as the fame-hungry Bhugol and Bhuvan Arora as the lovelorn Amavas, whose romantic moments with Roshni are unexpectedly heartfelt. The duo steals the show during a hilarious ‘item song’ sequence, while also being a satirical jab at how human lives often hold less value than material possessions in society.
A Still From Dupahiya Trailer
Shivani Raghuvanshi, though seemingly typecast in roles seeking escape from societal constraints, continues to deliver these parts with finesse. Veterans Gajraj Rao, Renuka Shahane, and Yashpal Sharma are first-rate, while Avinash Dwivedi, Samarth Mahor, Komal Kushwaha, Chandan Kumar, and Anjuman Saxena shine in supporting roles.
‘Dupahiya’ Review - Final Thoughts
Dupahiya is a vibrant and entertaining series that successfully blends humour with sharp social commentary. While it may not reinvent the wheel, its quirky characters, ability to address serious issues with a light-hearted tone, and clever exploration of rural life make it a refreshing watch. Dupahiya is streaming on Prime Video.
Rating:3.5
(The opinions expressed in the above article are of the author and do not reflect the stand or position of LatestLY.)
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 07, 2025 04:10 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
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Sreeju Sudhakaran|
Mar 07, 2025 04:10 AM IST
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