“Form bhar diya kya?” — Why Panchayat’s Jitendra Kumar Still Gets UPSC Reminders from Home
Suppose this: You’re a celebrity actor, your series is a hit, you’ve graduated from IIT, and life is good. And then one day, out of the blue, you get a call from home:
“Beta, UPSC prelims ka form aa gaya hai. Bharde na, bas dekh le ek baar.”
This is the actual life of Jitendra Kumar—the actor who plays Jeetu Bhaiya of Kota Factory and the so-relatable Abhishek Tripathi of Panchayat.
While he has a successful career in acting, his parents still remind him to keep in mind the UPSC Civil Services Exam—in case he gets cold feet one day.
Changing to Acting from Engineering: A Worthwhile Detour
Jitendra started down the path of a dream for many Indian parents: the hallowed halls of IIT Kharagpur. But among mechanical engineering classes and charts of deadlines, another interest caught up with him—theatre.
He was totally immersed in college drama, being the Governor of the Hindi Technology Dramatics Society. That pastime didn’t just survive—it intensified. And before long, Jeetu left engineering offers behind and ventured along the perilous path of acting.
But Parents Will Be Parents…
A few days ago, on an episode of The Great Indian Kapil Show, Jitendra openly confessed something which made the audience laugh and many a viewer nodded in appreciation:
>”Mujhe aaj bhi ghar se UPSC exam ke dates ke messages aate hain.”
It wasn’t judgmental. It wasn’t intimidating. It was, in the most Indian manner, a show of love with an expectation mixed in.
“What If??” — The Hope That Never Lets Go
There is something so sweet in Jitendra’s story. His parents’ UPSC goads are not annoyance. They’re not telling him to give up the acting profession. They’re just. hoping.
With the hope that maybe one day, his son will return, pick up the pen, and try the “most coveted exam of India”.
It’s this internal hope parents carry—the one that never fades. The one that continues to send newspaper clippings, WhatsApp forwards, or reminders to study at 7 AM.
Fans Totally Relate
Social media, of course, adored his straightforwardness.
> Even IITians who have struck web series have parents making them ask for UPSC? ???? Relatable AF.
> “Jeetu Bhaiya ko bhi yeh sunna padta hai? Then what hope is there for the rest of us!”
The show was so relatable because it’s a mirror to so many young Indians’ lives—gentle pull-and-push between dreams of the self and the dreams of the parents.
A Career That Speaks for Itself
Let’s be real—Jitendra is killing it professionally:
- Panchayat Season 3 broke viewership records and continues to ring the bell of that same magnitude for millions of viewers.
- His understated acting style, that middle-class integrity, and emotional connect make him one of the most believable faces on screen today.
- But he remains grounded. No tantrums of success, no melodramatic speeches—just warm smiles and love for his craft.
This humility is perhaps the reason that his parents still think that he might become a civil servant one day. In their eyes, he is still the book-intelligent, shy boy who will get it if only he tries.
A Tale of Two Dreams: Final Thoughts
Jitendra’s tale is our tale.
* The boy who did what was expected of him (engineer).
* Who then did as he liked (acted).
* Now balances fame with friendship—still receiving calls from home on how to fill out exam forms.
It’s a reminder that you’re capable of making it on your own, wherever you are from. And that even when your parents imagine otherwise, they never imagine fantasy of domination. They’re just reverberations of love, built upon convention.
No, Jeetu Bhaiya is never going to be a Collector or a DM, God willing. But he has become something else just as strong—a narrator of tales who is our homes, our battles, and our hearts.
And lost somewhere in that dusty old UPSC application form, still unopened in his mailbox, is a quiet little prayer from Dad and Mom.
Just in case.