'Family Man' S03 review: Jaideep Ahlawat shines in uneven thriller
What's the story
After a long wait, Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK's The Family Man S03 is out on Prime Video. The new installment pits Srikant Tiwari (Manoj Bajpayee) against his most formidable enemy yet, Rukma (Jaideep Ahlawat). The show is engaging in parts, and the production quality and action sequences look top-notch, but overall, this season struggles because it doesn't offer enough thrills.
Plot
Srikant meets his deadliest foe yet
For intelligence officer Srikant, the stakes are higher than ever as he faces his new adversary, Rukma, a dreaded drug dealer who operates in the Northeast. Nimrat Kaur plays Meera, his handler. Between trying to defend the country from menacing enemies and saving his crumbling marriage, Srikant is bruised, battered, and more helpless than ever before.
#1
What works: The drama portions remain effective
Like the previous two seasons, The Family Man is at its strongest when it explores Srikant's tumultuous personal life. Who is he when the world isn't watching? What does he think of apart from missions? Dhriti (Ashlesha Thakur) and Atharva (Vedant Sinha), now grown-ups, are more perceptive, and Srikant-Dhriti's heart-to-heart about his marital problems emerges as one of the best scenes of the series.
#2
Rukma has been written and performed brilliantly
Another smart move by Raj and DK is to sculpt Rukma carefully. By showing us his relationship with his girlfriend and her young son, they make Rukma a believable, multi-layered man with different shades. Ahlawat is so solid in this villainous role (which could have easily gone over the top) that you miss him every minute he isn't on the screen.
#3
Bajpayee returns to his role effortlessly
Bajpayee continues to play Srikant with a sense of effortless abandon. He has been essaying this role since 2019 and has mastered the art of playing an Indian everyman. From struggling to understand Dhriti's pronouns (they/them) to silently cussing guests for repeatedly gifting crockery at his housewarming, he is just another middle-class man.
#4
What doesn't work: Too many actors, but not enough impact
What happens when a show mindlessly throws multiple characters into the mix? It begins to lose its novelty. The third season struggles to do justice to the ensemble, focusing only on Bajapyee, Sharib Hashmi, and Ahlawat. Plus, Kaur and Jugal Hansraj, newcomers to the show, seem like outsiders, like a crack in the fabric of the series. Their characters take too long to settle.
#5
Becomes tedious and predictable after a point
We wait for several episodes for Rukma and Srikant's meeting, but when the moment finally arrives, it's bereft of impact. This season takes seven long episodes to conclude in the direction you can predict early on, and the overall lack of engagement pushes you away. Moreover, from being important pillars to being relegated to the sidelines, Suchi, Atharva, and Dhriti are treated like afterthoughts.
#6
We struggle to feel for most characters
Despite the high-stakes missions and numerous do-or-die situations, it's surprisingly tough to care for any character this time. The show pulls off some twists, thinking it will pull the rug from under our feet, but that's never the case. At many points, this season reminded me of Raj and DK's Citadel: Honey Bunny, which showed similar promise but also had the same problems.
Verdict
Watchable, but doesn't reach its full potential; 2.5/5 stars
The Family Man S03 carries forward Srikant's courageous story, while also focusing on his fragmented personal life. The humor saves the day on many occasions, and the dramatic scenes remain the show's strong suit. However, the predictability and lack of tension result in reduced pay-off, and at many junctures, the series is reduced to a shadow of its former self. 2.5/5 stars.