Web Series Review: THE FAMILY MAN SEASON 3 proves to be a satisfying and engaging new chapter

Synopsis:
THE FAMILY MAN SEASON 3 is the story of a spy facing the biggest challenge of his career. Few years have passed since the events of SEASON 2. Suchitra (Priyamani) has bought a bigger flat where she and her family – husband Srikant Tiwari (Manoj Bajpayee), daughter Dhriti (Ashlesha Thakur) and son Atharv (Vedant Sinha) – have shifted. Suchitra and Srikant are not on talking terms and are contemplating a divorce. Meanwhile, Srikant and his boss, Gautam Kulkarni (Dalip Tahil), leave for Kohima, Nagaland. There have been blasts in 6 cities in the Northeast in 48 hours, threatening Prime Minister Basu’s (Seema Biswas) pet project, named Project Sahakar. It involves bringing rebel groups together with the aim of providing peace and stability in the region. The project has been possible, thanks to the highly respected local leader, David Khuzou (Sunil Thapa). Srikant and Kulkarni meet David a day before the deal is to be signed. David’s grandson, Stephen Khuzou (Paalin Kabak), who runs a faction called MCA-S, is against the deal and makes it clear to David. On the day the deal is to be signed, the convoy of David, Srikant and Kulkarni is ambushed by a dreaded drug lord, Rukma (Jaideep Ahlawat). Rukma kills David and Kulkarni. He spares Srikant, presumably assuming that he’s dead. Srikant survives and is able to identify Rukma. Stephen is assumed to be the one behind the attack and he goes into hiding. In a sudden turn of events, the NIA has a suspicion that Srikant could be behind the attack as well, since he survived and also because very few knew about the route of the convoy. Suchitra, meanwhile, is also facing a tough time, as the government bans 69 Chinese apps, one of which is her app, ShrinkMe. She tries to defend the app on a news channel debate but it backfires. A troll campaign starts against Suchitra and Dhruti is also dragged into it. An arrest warrant is issued against Srikant and he decides to run away with his family. The NIA, TASC and TASC’s new chief, Yatish Chawla (Harman Singha) are behind him, but he outsmarts them and leaves Mumbai. What happens next forms the rest of the series.

The Family Man Season 3 Story Review:
Raj-DK, Tusshar Seyth and Suman Kumar’s story is promising and the obstacles in front of Srikant this time are many notches higher. Raj-DK, Tusshar Seyth, Nikhil Gonsalves, Sudhish Kamath and Suman Kumar’s screenplay is captivating and neatly incorporates humour, which is a USP of the show. But as it happens, when the previous seasons have formed a benchmark, the writing feels underwhelming. Sumit Arora’s dialogues are hilarious, sharp and one of the best things about the show, without doubt.

Raj-DK, Tusshar Seyth and Suman Kumar’s direction is exemplary. The beauty of their execution is that amid the chaos and nail-biting moments, they make sure that viewers also laugh their guts out. This is no easy task, as often, this might not land properly. But every joke or every line, intended to raise laughs, works bang-on. Two scenes which stand out in this regard are when Srikant tells his son that he’s a spy, and the TC enquiring about JK Talpade (Sharib Hashmi), with Srikant cooking up a howlarious story. On the other hand, David and Stephen’s confrontation is significant. The scenes of Rukma and how he strategizes also makes for a nice watch. Meanwhile, the geopolitical angle also has its charm as it’s soaked in realism. The makers borrow from real-life happenings like banning of Chinese apps, organized trolling, news channels being used, or rather misused, by vested interests, etc. Lastly, Raj-DK’s shows are known for one-take shots. Here, they tweak the technique a bit in the scene of the attack at Rukma’s farmhouse, and it’s praiseworthy.

On the flipside, though the makers try their best, the new season doesn’t match up to Season 1 and 2, especially in terms of humour. The earlier 2 parts had jokes and moments that became meme-worthy and are remembered even today. The humour quotient in Season 3 is there but doesn’t go into the cult zone, which will be the demand. The track of Meera (Nimrat Kaur) is unconvincing; a smart and careful person like her blows her cover and this whole bit is unconvincing. The show ends on a chilling cliffhanger but at the same time, several tracks are left abruptly. Lastly, the character of Chellam Sir (Uday Mahesh), who became a sensation after Season 2, gets a raw deal this time.

The Family Man Season 3 Performances:
Manoj Bajpayee yet again slips into the ‘Family Man’ character effortlessly. This is his most adorable performance and the way he essays it with perfection adds a lot to the show. Priyamani makes her presence felt and this time, her equation with her hubby is different; it provides a nice touch though questions still remain. Ashlesha Thakur and Vedant Sinha are very impressive and even they get to try something novel in this season. Sharib Hashmi is adorable as always. Jaideep Ahlawat is terrific and his long-hair-look is dashing. Nimrat Kaur is a bit let down by the writing but performance has no complaints. Shreya Dhanwanthary (Zoya) returns in a major role and is damn good. Jugal Hansraj (Dwaraknath), Harman Singha, Jason Tham (Colonel Zhulong) and Andrea Kevichüsa (Nima) are aptly cast. Sunil Thapa and Dalip Tahil leave huge marks despite limited screen time. Seema Biswas, Paalin Kabak, Gul Panag (Saloni), Vipin Sharma (Sambit) and Aritro Rudraneil Banerjee (Punit) are dependable. Vijay Vikram Singh (Ajit) and Aditya Srivastava (Yashwant Kumar) get a limited scope. Riyan Mipi (Bobby) is cute. Uday Mahesh is forced.

The Family Man Season 3 music and other technical aspects:
Sachin-Jigar’s original title music sets the mood instantly. Ketan Sodha’s background score is exhilarating. Jay Charola’s cinematography is gritty as well as breathtaking. Parichit Paralkar’s production design is superior, while Neha R Bajaj’s costumes are straight out of life. Yannick Ben and Aejaz Gulab’s action adds to the fun. Sumeet Kotian’s editing is slick.

The Family Man Season 3 Review Conclusion:
On the whole, THE FAMILY MAN SEASON 3 proves to be a satisfying and engaging new chapter, serving a potent mix of action, drama, tension and situational humour that fans of the franchise expect. The writing stumbles at places and a few tracks feel undercooked. Nevertheless, powered by the insane popularity of the brand and the enduring affection for Srikant Tiwari and his world, this season is poised to attract massive viewership and keep audiences eagerly waiting for what comes next.