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Dupahiya Season 2 Review: Gajraj Rao, Sparsh Shrivastava and Renuka Shahane return in a funnier, sharper season packed with paper leaks and village chaos.
Bhuvan Arora, Shivani Raghuvanshi and the ensemble cast of Dupahiya Season 2 on Prime Video.
Dupahiya Season 2U
3.5/5
Starring: Gajraj Rao, Renuka Shahane, Sparsh Shrivastava, Bhuvan Arora, Shivani Raghuvanshi, Yashpal Sharma, Avinash Dwivedi, Dinesh Lal Yadav (Nirahua), Komal Kushwaha, Suryansh Mishra, Samarth Mahor, Anjuman Jha SaxenaDirector: Sonam NairPlatform: Amazon Prime Video
Dupahiya Season 2 Review: Sometimes, all one needs on a free, lazy afternoon is to sink into the couch, perhaps summon a mother, father or sibling for company, and tune into a web series that is light-hearted, humorous, familiar in its setting and peopled by characters who ooze simplicity without ever becoming ornamental. The kind of show that makes you cackle through episode after episode, and by the time the credits roll, also leaves you with a thought, a concern, or a nagging social issue to chew on. That is precisely where Sonam Nair’s Dupahiya comes into the picture. If the first season had promise, the second season is unmistakably a step-up, offering a satisfying concoction of drama, comedy, over-the-top situations and the rooted aroma of rural India. Starring Gajraj Rao, Renuka Shahane, Sparsh Shrivastava, Bhuvan Arora, Shivani Raghuvanshi and Yashpal Sharma, the series has a heart and soul of gold, and certainly makes for an entertaining watch.
The second season begins after the events of the previous outing. Dhadakpur is no longer the unblemished, peaceful village that had proudly sustained its crime-free identity for 25 years, all thanks to the dowry motorbike that went missing in the first season. Roshni Jha, played by Shivani Raghuvanshi, is determined to clear the SSC examination after challenging Kuber Tripathi, played by Avinash Dwivedi, while refusing to marry him. She wants to fulfil her aspiration of settling in a city, but on the strength of her own effort and hard-earned money. Her father, Banwari Jha, played by Gajraj Rao, has been suspended from his post as a teacher, instead of receiving the big promotion he was eyeing in the previous season. But all is not gloom for him, as his land is selected for the erection of a 5G tower, which might ensure a steady monthly income and a fat advance.
Meanwhile, Bhugol Jha, played by Sparsh Shrivastava, has truly gone viral and become famous, but not in the way he had hoped. His launda naach performances do bring him some financial backing, but deep down, he still yearns to be recognised as a “hero” rather than dressing up as a woman and performing show after show for the local audience.
Pushplata Yadav, played by Renuka Shahane, the village Panch, is still ambitious about becoming the Sarpanch. To reach that position, she is willing to do anything to gather the villagers’ support, especially when a wave of discontent erupts after news spreads that if the 5G tower is erected on Banwari’s land, its harmful waves will turn the men of the village impotent, it can bring in Tsunami or it will cause Typhoid cases to rise. These rumours drives a rift between Banwari and the villagers, with Pushplata leading the charge against him.
While Roshni is shown toiling day and night to crack the exam, she soon realises that she is nowhere close to even scoring decent marks, let alone acing the examination. With only a week left for the exams, she approaches Amavas, played by Bhuvan Arora, who is still hopelessly besotted with her despite his love being unrequited. After just one phone call, he drops everything he is doing to help the woman he loves most.
Together, they approach a man named Pratham Kumar, played by Dinesh Lal Yadav aka Nirahua, who is a teacher at a coaching institute but is also complicit in leaking papers for students who pay him, along with other examination-related scams such as cheating. Bhugol, who has had enough of dressing up in scanty clothes and dancing as a woman, also gets involved in this scheme after a pandit tells him that he has “stree dosh.” To fix that, he must help a woman without malice or ill intent and earn her gratitude.
Also thrown into this bizarre and eccentric mix is constable Mithlesh Kumar, played by Yashpal Sharma, who had previously solved the case of the missing motorbike and gained praise for it. He is now on the lookout for another case that can elevate his image even further. This quest leads him to the apparent paper leak scam, where he must face red tape, corruption and other zany obstacles to reach the bottom of the truth.
At A Glance
Dupahiya Season 2 is an eight-episode season helmed by Sonam Nair.
The series stars Gajraj Rao, Renuka Shahane, Sparsh Shrivastava, Bhuvan Arora, Shivani Raghuvanshi, and Yashpal Sharma.
The village of Dhadakpur had sustained a crime-free identity for 25 years.
Roshni Jha is determined to clear the SSC examination.
Banwari Jha’s land is selected for the erection of a 5G tower.
All this sets the ball rolling for another exciting chapter in the annals of Dhadakpur. Will Roshni succeed in her attempt to cheat through the SSC exam? Will Bhugol escape the notoriety of being the leading face of launda naach in the village? Will Amavas finally carve out a place for himself in Roshni’s heart by helping her? Will Banwari get his teaching job back, or will he be able to get the 5G tower constructed on his land amid dissent from the villagers? And will the famed Dupahiya, or the motorcycle, have any link to all of this? You will have to watch the season to find out.
This eight-episode season, helmed by Sonam Nair, has improved dramatically not only in terms of production but also in its screenplay and in the way its characters bloom naturally, effortlessly and with enough room to leave an indelible impression on the viewer’s mind. These characters do not always need to be the leads. In Dupahiya, one becomes accustomed even to the tertiary characters who may not have enough screen time, but still remain memorable because of their peculiarities, rhythms and personalities. This greatly helps in establishing the realism required to build a genuine connection between the world on screen and the audience watching it.
Dhadakpur, much like Panchayat’s Phulera, succeeds by leaps and bounds in creating that familiarity. You feel connected to the faces on screen, and that investment keeps you rooted in the overall story. Whether it is the chaupal where everyone gathers to discuss important matters, the police station, Banwari’s barren field where the villagers assemble to protest against the 5G tower, the interiors of Banwari’s house or the family terrace, every space feels lived in. Nothing seems like a set waiting to be admired. It feels like a village that existed before the camera arrived and will continue breathing after the camera leaves.
The quality of humour and jokes has also improved significantly, with most of them eliciting genuine chuckles. The situational comedy does not feel forced or slapstick, and it keeps tickling your senses without begging for laughter. There are several subplots to look forward to, including Nirmal Yadav, played by Komal Kushwaha, and Sheetal Sahani’s love story, played by Suryansh Mishra, or the exploration of Bhugol’s fractured bond with his father, where he is still seeking love and validation while his father keeps rebuking and downplaying him at every possible turn. Then there is Amavas, caught between helping his unrequited lover Roshni crack the SSC paper and speaking to a woman for marriage at the behest of his sister-in-law. There is plenty to look forward to beyond the main overarching storyline.
And amid all the humour and chaos, the series also exposes the rot within the system and the machinery responsible for paper leaks, cheating and the blatant corruption that facilitates such scams. Whether it is coaching centres, the police or the invigilators, the series, despite its insouciant and whimsical treatment, cleverly showcases how such scams unfold across villages and small towns in the country, how often they go unchecked and unnoticed, and the kind of damage they inflict upon hardworking and honest students.
The series also does a phenomenal job of bringing to light how an actual village functions, along with the innocence, naivety and ignorance of its people, in a manner that feels distinct and cannot simply be compared to other stories based around similar settings like Panchayat or Gram Chikitsalay. The background score, composed by Somesh Saha and at times reminiscent of the R D Burman era, along with Kruti Mahesh’s crisp cinematography, complements the tone of the series beautifully.
The performances remain the series’ greatest asset. Sparsh Shrivastava is terrific as Bhugol. He already possesses an instinctive comic looseness, but Season 2 gives him emotional material worthy of it. His face can move from self-importance to embarrassment to hurt within seconds. Bhugol’s desire to escape the identity that has brought him recognition could easily have appeared petulant in lesser hands. Shrivastava instead makes you understand the humiliation beneath the complaint. You laugh at him frequently, but almost never at his expense.
His scenes involving Banwari are particularly strong because Shrivastava permits Bhugol’s bravado to collapse whenever paternal rejection enters the room.
Gajraj Rao is equally dependable as Banwari. His suspended schoolteacher carries multiple varieties of injury at once. There is wounded professional pride, anxiety about money, embarrassment over Bhugol’s performances, desperation over Roshni’s exam and the sheer indignity of being treated as a reproductive terrorist because somebody wants to install a telecommunications tower on his property.
Rao excels at men who believe dignity can be maintained through posture even while circumstances methodically dismantle it. There is delicious irritation in his performance, but also warmth. Banwari’s eventual movement towards understanding Bhugol gives Rao some of his finest moments because he resists overplaying the reconciliation.
Shivani Raghuvanshi brings welcome grit to Roshni.
Her ambition never feels ornamental. Roshni wants a life beyond the village badly enough to risk becoming somebody she herself might not respect. Raghuvanshi gives the character stubbornness, vulnerability and an impatience that occasionally makes her difficult, which is precisely why she remains engaging.
Bhuvan Arora’s Amavas continues to be enormously likeable. There is something almost painfully sincere about his devotion to Roshni. Arora plays the character without turning lovesickness into self-pity. His comic timing remains sharp, but it is the gentleness underneath that makes Amavas memorable.
Yashpal Sharma is in equally enjoyable form as Mithlesh Kumar. The constable’s hunger for another celebrated case gives Sharma ample opportunity to alternate between inflated confidence and bureaucratic helplessness. Mithlesh genuinely wants to solve the case, but heroism becomes considerably harder when someone is being paid not to cooperate and a compromised senior, in the form of the DSP, sits above him, creating hurdles every now and then whenever Mithlesh comes too close to uncovering the truth.
Dinesh Lal Yadav aka Nirahua proves to be a particularly smart addition as Pratham Kumar.
There is an oily ease to his performance that suits a man who has transformed academic dishonesty into a business model. Pratham is not presented as a grand criminal mastermind. That would make him easier to dismiss. Nirahua instead plays him like somebody who considers the entire enterprise almost routine, which makes the character funnier and considerably more devious.
Renuka Shahane is once again excellent as Pushplata Yadav. Her political ambition sharpens the comedy without swallowing her personality. Pushplata recognises opportunity with almost predatory efficiency, but Shahane keeps enough warmth and comic exaggeration in the performance to prevent her from becoming merely calculating.
Komal Kushwaha as Nirmal Yadav also makes a strong impression, while Samarth Mahor as Teepu and Suryansh Mishra as Sheetal contribute handsomely to the ensemble.
Anjuman Jha Saxena lends Malti Jha an affectionate steadiness as Roshni and Bhugol’s doting mother and Banwari’s committed partner. She may not always dominate the narrative, but her presence helps complete the Jha household.
Avinash Dwivedi’s return as Kuber Tripathi adds another familiar thread to Roshni’s story, reminding us of the challenge that partly set her current ambitions into motion.
To sum it up, Dupahiya Season 2 is that rare sophomore outing that does not merely repeat the charm of its first season but expands its world with greater confidence, sharper humour and a more assured emotional rhythm. It is breezy without being hollow, funny without becoming flippant, and socially aware without climbing on a soapbox. Beneath its rumours, paper leaks, village politics, fractured dreams and small-town absurdities lies a tender understanding of people who want more from life but are constantly negotiating with circumstance, family, ego and fate. Dhadakpur may be chaotic, gullible and hilariously dramatic, but it is also alive in a way that feels disarmingly warm.
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Ask News18Dupahiya Season 2 premieres on October 1, 2026, exclusively on Prime Video.
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Yatamanyu Narain is a Sub-Editor at News18.com with a passion for all things entertainment. Whether he\’s breaking the latest Bollywood news or chatting with rising stars in the OTT world, he’s always…Read More
October 01, 2026, 06:45 IST
