Welcome to ‘Bihar ka Belgium’ Dhadakpur, where there’s ‘no gaali, no dunaali, no katta, no goli’ — just a spotless 24-year crime-free record that the villagers flaunt like a gold medal.
But all that bragging goes straight out of the window when the unthinkable happens — a fancy bike, meant for dowry, gets stolen. And with that, the village’s spotless reputation hangs by a thread. What happens next forms the crux of the story.
Dowry dreams, viral reels, and a missing bike
This nine-episode web series revolves around Banwari Jha (Gajraj Rao), an acting school principal whose one big goal is to get his daughter, Roshni, married into a ‘good family’. After some classic shaadi bargaining, the groom’s side demands a bike worth Rs 3 lakh (dowry, but let’s call it a trend) and Rs 2 lakh worth of petrol. Yes, you read that right!
Banwari somehow arranges the money, buys the bike and locks it up like treasure on the village school premises. But his wannabe influencer son, Bhugol (Sparsh Shrivastava), just can’t resist flaunting it in an Instagram reel. And then the inevitable happens — the bike gets stolen, and all hell breaks loose.
Now, the whole village is in panic mode — because forget the bike, if word gets out that there was a crime, the village’s proud record will be broken. Also, a crime in Dhadakpur? Unthinkable!
Enter Pushpalata Yadav (Renuka Shahane), who’s eyeing the Sarpanch’s seat and will do anything to keep the village’s spotless record intact — even if it means sweeping this whole mess under the rug.
Throw in a grumpy, revenge-seeking cop, Mithilesh Kushwaha (Yashpal Sharma), Amavas — Roshni’s kleptomaniac ex-boyfriend with a good heart (Bhuvan Arora) — and a motley crew of villagers who think they’re smarter than the rest of the world.
Forward village, ancient thinking
What makes Dupahiya fun is how Dhadakpur sees itself — they genuinely believe they’re the most forward-thinking village ever. But scratch the surface, and it’s all dowry negotiations, fairness cream obsession, and “log kya kahenge” anxiety at the first sign of trouble. This clash between modern tech and old-school mindset keeps the laughs coming.
Gajraj Rao, Sparsh Shrivastava steal the show
Gajraj Rao is, as always, brilliant — his mix of helpless father and jugaadu villager is spot on. Sparsh Shrivastava as Bhugol steals the show, with his ‘launda naach’ reels and his panic attacks. And how can we forget Renuka Shahane as Pushpalata? Ambitious, dramatic and willing to bend every rule to win — she’s pure gold.
Bhuvan Arora as Amavas is awkward yet weirdly lovable. Don’t miss his chemistry with Sparsh — their jodi will remind you of Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan in Main Khiladi Tu Anari.
Yashpal Sharma works his usual magic as the smart but lazy cop with a personal grudge against Banwari. Even the side characters — from an aspiring journalist to a ‘fairness cream expert’ — bring their own brand of madness to the mix.
Panchayat vibes with extra spice
If Panchayat felt like a slow village day, Dupahiya feels like a wedding baraat on full throttle. Both depict rural life to the tee, but while Panchayat is subtle, Dupahiya is more chaotic — Bihari style! There’s more drama, more social commentary (thankfully, without being preachy), and way more laughs.
A breath of fresh air
After a streak of serious social dramas and endless gangster tales, Dupahiya is a breath of fresh air. With its quirky characters, village madness and plenty of heart, it blends dowry drama, social media reels and small-town pride into one fun ride.
Creators Salona Bains Joshi, Shubh Shivdasani, Avinash Dwivedi and Chirag Garg do a solid job of weaving humour into social messaging. Director Sonam Nair, too, balances multiple subplots and characters well, though at times, it does feel a tad stretched.Overall, a proper paisa-vasool watch that’ll leave you smiling long after the credits roll.
