Blending humour with heart, marrying honesty with ingenuity and melding the geopolitical with the personal has been the trademark of The Family Man. It is a formula that has worked for the eyeball-grabbing, almost-cult series across two seasons. Except that none of it has ever felt like formula. That is primarily — if not solely, in many instances — been because of its Everyman protagonist. Manoj Bajpayee’s Srikant Tiwari aka “The Family Man” has never been a conventional secret agent. His looks are deceptive and his ticking time-bomb of a mind is masked by an otherwise imperceptible demeanour, but every time The Family Man has come perilously close to falling prey to convention, its unconventional hero has pulled it back. That also forms the bedrock of its latest season, one that has been feverishly anticipated ever since the curtains came down on its sophomore outing four years ago.
When he first knocked on our TV screens in the autumn of 2019, Srikant/Sri/Tiwari, from the word go, challenged the notion of a secret agent. Mumbling, bumbling, dressed like a sarkari babu and failing spectacularly to balance home and work. But we all witnessed his chameleonic transformation — courtesy Bajpayee’s splendid command over his craft — every time Tiwari was tested on his unwavering belief of nation above everything else. As a family man — both as husband and father — Srikant may have consistently faltered, but as a patriot, he has always been unarguably solid.
But in Season 3, that is now streaming on Prime Video, Srikant — family man and beyond — is on shaky ground for the first time. That ground happens to be insurgency-hit North East India, a historically tenuous region with Nagaland forming the epicentre of the (violent) action this season. In the first episode itself — that hits the ground running, another The Family Man characteristic — Srikant faces an irreparable loss. One that is impactful enough to set him off on a mission that he declares is “personal”. Despite moving into a new home, the walls are also closing in on the relationships in the Tiwari family. Srikant and Suchi’s (Priyamani) marriage is on the rocks and their children — Dhriti, played by Ashlesha Thakur, and Atharv, essayed by Vedant Sinha — have their own issues to work out, some of which are connected to their parents’ progressively fragile equation.
Outside, Srikant is battling bureaucratic and logistical impediments in tracing the whereabouts of mercenary-on-hire Rukma (Jaideep Ahlawat in all his redoubtable glory), even as he races against time to counter a looming threat to the country’s security. But as he — and we — learn soon enough, the situation explodes into one where war is imminent. The North-Eastern borders of the country are nestling phoenix towns dominated by militants and the incendiary Chinese project Guan Yu (that was teased at the end of the second season) is working overtime to foil India’s Operation Sahakar, that is aimed at the rehabilitation and development of the region.
Working from within and outside the system are political players and power brokers, with Nimrat Kaur’s high-level fixer Meera Easton (whose trench-coat game is as strong as her predilection to throw around the word “chuffed”) being the one calling the shots. Her colleague is played, in a brief appearance, by Jugal Hansraj in a not-so-‘masoom’ role. There is also Sameer (Darshan Kumaar), the mysterious figure who pops up every season and who continues to operate in the shadows.
With Srikant — as was clearly implied in the trailer — being branded a suspect for an assassination and its aftermath — the family man is now a fugitive. In tow is his family and his trusted colleague and loyal pal J.K. (Sharib Hashmi). But Srikant being the Srikant we know, is not one to lie low. He quickly bounces back to doing what he does best — takes the fight to the enemy, putting his life on the line and the country before himself.
Creator-director duo Raj & DK, who have altered and expanded the landscape of the Indian OTT space with their sprawling narratives and imaginative storytelling, are adept at crafting an engaging and entertaining watch even while keeping a finger on the pulse of the geo-political climate which they set their stories in. The pair — working out of a script penned with frequent collaborator and The Family Man staple Suman Kumar, who also directs a few episodes of S3 — embellish the fictional framework of this season with the story of India now.
That not only includes the threat to the country from foreign forces on all fronts, but also the high-pitched knee-jerk jingoism that defines patriotism for many now. The one where one can be branded an “anti-national” in a banana court (or Twitter aka X) or where politicians bay for blood — led by prime minister “buzdil” Basu (Seema Biswas) — without sparing a thought for collateral damage. There is also a nod to the scurried banning of China-based apps. It is a distressing scenario but nothing that you see in The Family Man Season 3 is not one you haven’t seen or heard of before. And that makes the discomfort, and horror, more tangible.
What works for Season 3 — despite the heavy (and sometimes heavy-handed) final three episodes — is that it lines up a formidable antagonist. Jaideep Ahlawat as Rukma is a force of nature, commanding attention and appreciation in every scene he appears in. The actor’s ability to effortlessly meld strength with vulnerability makes Rukma more than just a ruthless killer. In many ways, he is also a family man for who, self-confessedly, matters have also become personal. Rukma is a fitting opponent to Srikant and the face-off between the two— late but never less impactful — forms one of the season’s most defining moments.
Action and emotion aside, humour — especially of Srikant’s deadpan variety — has always been a strong reason for the popularity of The Family Man. That is evident in Season 3 more than ever, especially in the exchanges between and involving Srikant and JK. The scene in the train with the ticket collector is an instant classic, as is the one in which Srikant and JK have a spat of sorts, with Srikant sarcastically promising JK that he will conduct a swayamvar for him if they make it out alive. After three seasons, there is a lived-in quality to this equation that — powered by the fine comic talents of Bajpayee, and particularly, Hashmi — bring this season alive. Srikant and son Atharva’s scenes — given that the dad is not the most woke person around — elicit expected chuckles.
Apart from top-notch performances from its lead cast — Priyamani is solid as usual, Gul Panag and Shreya Dhanwantary get the memo and franchise newcomer Harman Singha is assured and confident — the Raj & DK universe throws up some of its most alluring characters. The much-loved Chellam sir (Uday Mahesh) — who became a meme sensation in Season 2 — pops in to put out fires her never set in the first place. And, of course, some of the most delightful scenes this season are the ones involving Srikant and a key player from the Raj & DK universe. Let’s just say no ‘farzi’ cameo this.
At just seven episodes, Season 3 is the shortest (Season 1 had 10, Season 2 did it in nine) and ends on an ambiguous note. Will Srikant Tiwari make it to the next season? May the fourth be with him.
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