The Family Man 3 has returned, and in this energetic third season, although the character developments and the conflicts might remind you of something, the combination of geopolitics, Srikant Tiwari’s sly humor, and ethical dilemmas makes it a kind of show that you would not be sorry to binge-watch.
Do you recall the first time we met Srikant Tiwari? A middle-class Intelligence Officer who is trying to rescue the country while managing a disorderly home. When The Family Man came into our homes in 2019, it was a breath of fresh air. It changed the typical espionage plot and set a new standard for Indian web series, with the amazing work of Manoj Bajpayee being the main strength of the entire show.
However, the thing about success is that it can turn into a trap. What seemed groundbreaking six years ago is now the "default mode." The very formula that made the show special—humanizing spies and mixing in family drama—is getting to be just a little bit of routine. It sometimes feels like a recipe stretched across seven episodes: 200 grams of saving the world followed by 150 grams of family arguments.
Anyway, the stakes are much higher indeed. The family drama is still lovable, the humor is still effective, and Bajpayee is still the great conductor who takes us through the different emotional states of the play. Yet, a strong sense of familiarity permeates the third season so much that it might give the audience the feeling that they have already seen it.
The Family Man Season 3 (Hindi)
Creators: Raj & DK
Cast: Manoj Bajpayee, Jaideep Ahlawat, Nimrat Kaur, Priyamani, Sharib Hashmi
Runtime: 7 episodes (50-55 minutes each)
Storyline: When a peace process in the Northeast fails, intelligence agent Srikant Tiwari finds himself wanted by his own agency and hunted by a ruthless new enemy named Rukma.
The Plot: Old Wine, New Bottle?
The writers have selected the Northeast as their new battleground—a choice that has been quite trendy among storytellers recently. Once Paatal Lok had thoroughly examined the area, Raj & DK, the creators, just recycled the story of the central government's interest in development vis-à-vis the distrust of locals who feel neglected. It’s a setup you get if you throw a Chinese angle and a corporate conspiracy trying to create chaos to the mix. While it’s not a completely new one, the way it gets shot is still able to pull in a lot of the energy and the purpose of the fight.
Things take a turn for the worse with the assassination of intelligence chief Kulkarni (Dilip Tahil) in an ambush. The twist? His loyal aide Srikant Tiwari (Bajpayee) is the one whom the police think most strongly. Tiwari is the only survivor of the attack carried out by the moody mercenary Rukma (Jaideep Ahlawat), who was hired by a cartel to disrupt the peace process. When Tiwari retaliates, Rukma happens to lose someone very dear to him, thus making the fight personal.
Villains and Performances
It is Meera (Nimrat Kaur) who is the one literally pulling the strings, a stylish lady, but sans mercy. Very soon, it evolved into a cat and mouse game where the roles of the one chasing and the one being chased changed. The sequel was that even the people from his own gang were after him, with a new character, Yash Chawla (Harman Singha), who, along with Zoya (Shreya Dhanwanthry), was trying to arrest Tiwari.
Despite the uproar surrounding them, Tiwari and JK (Sharib Hashmi) are still going with their legendary banter. Manoj Bajpayee is the person that can, with style, balance on a thin line of morals. Quite often, his quietness is more expressive than the words and it is his way of showing the complications of a loser agent’s series of situations.
Jaideep Ahlawat and Nimrat Kaur are a powerful oppositions pair. Nimrat turns her villainy into a terrible but very charming one, whereas Jaideep is more of a village type and melodramatic without putting an extra effort. As a result, they become an engaging villain duo. Although the development of their characters is only halfway, their fiery dialogues make Tiwari's confrontation fascinating.
The fighting is of the kind the protagonists belong to and are quite logical—thus, no unnecessary use of CGI is apparent here at all.
The Family Drama
Between the chases, we receive news from the Tiwari family. Srikant’s secret double life and the unloading of his divorce from Suchitra (Priyamani) have been revealed to everyone. Just to add a little more chaos, his past Saloni (Gul Panag) appears when no one expects it. In the meantime, his "woke" daughter Dhriti (Ashlesha Thakur) has a new set of questions, and his son Atharv (Vedant Sinha) got new bullies and teenage hormones to deal with.
The series attempts to remain fashionable by incorporating topics such as Chinese apps, media ethics, and online trolling. The "flavor of the season" is quite apparent, but The Family Man shows that he is still a man for all seasons.
