The Family Man, created by Raj & DK, never disappoints. It’s always worth the guilt-free binging. Season 3, however, blends geopolitics with contemporary nuances, darker settings and humour. Opening in Nagaland, the series takes you to its crux at a slow pace. We get the light on Northeast, with meticulous depths. There are no over-the-top fabrications that we often get to notice in cinema, otherwise.
Season 3 keeps it blunt with issues that go beyond the borders. We see ruthless geopolitical chess and missions that stretch deep into foreign territory. Without diving into slow lectures, the season keeps the narrative tight and taut. The spirit, this time, feels more intense and moodier, and serves your expectation palette from the season since its inception.
Manoj Bajpayee drops the hook once again as Srikant Tiwari. However, this time his family knows that he is a spy. But we see his relationship with his wife, Suchitra, on the edge. We also know the kind of bond Srikant shares with his children, Dhriti, led by Ashlesha Thakur and Atharv, led by Vedant Sinha. In the first episode, the ‘non-binary’ confusion, followed by pronouns, will get you cracked up. The children realise that something is not well in the house, and the situation unravels in the following. The domestic setting, chased by satire and massy humour, keeps the film’s soul ignited.
This time, Srikant is a wanted man. In season 3, he is confronting a very dangerous, cold-blooded adversary, Rukma (Jaideep Ahlawat, who is menacing and magnetic. Despite the fast-paced chase, JK Talpade, played by Sharib Hashmi, remains the emotional anchor, making the audience laugh with his disarray. We see betrayals unfold in every moving episode. We see more foreign operatives this time. But Jaideep and a brilliantly nuanced Nimrat Kaur still reign supreme throughout. Even the bad guy has gained a bit of humanity this season through his discreet care for the child of his late partner.
Harder, a bit more paranoid, and unceasingly thrilling, Season 3 hardly gives you a moment to inhale in the chaos.
IWMBuzz rates it 4/5 stars.
