‘The Family Man’ Season 3 Review: A Solid if Not Entirely Flawless Thrill Ride With Manoj Bajpayee, Jaideep Ahlawat and Sharib Hashmi’s Superb Performances (LatestLY Exclusive)

The Family Man Season 3 Review: The second season of The Family Man ended with a mid-credit tease hinting at China’s deliberate role in triggering the COVID-19 pandemic in India. Season 3 does involve China in its narrative orbit, but the series chooses not to follow through on that conspiratorial hook - and surprisingly, it isn’t a loss. The delay in production may have rendered the idea stale, but the new season remains compelling without leaning on pandemic-fuelled paranoia. The Family Man Review: Manoj Bajpayee's Spy Series Rises Above Predictability With an Engaging Tale on Relevant Issues.

Raj Nidimoru and Krishna Dasarakothapalli return with Suman Kumar and Tusshar Seyth as directors for another thrilling season, with Manoj Bajpayee once again slipping effortlessly into Srikant Tiwari - the ever-efficient NIA officer who still pretends to be an ordinary private-sector employee at home. This time, though, his wife Suchitra (Priya Mani) and daughter Dhriti (Ashlesha Thakur) know the truth; only his son Atharv (Vedant Sinha) remains blissfully unaware. Not for much time, though.

'The Family Man' Season 3 Review - The Plot and The Setting

Like Pataal Lok, which had its own share of controversies, The Family Man was scrutinised for its political tone back in season 1. With India’s current political terrain fraught with sensitivities, where do Raj & DK go next? They make the clever decision to move the action to the North-East — a region shaped by decades of neglect by successive governments and ripe with narrative potential. It’s a smart choice, and it pays off.

Watch the Trailer of 'The Family Man' Season 3:

In Season 3, the Indian government under PM Basu (Seema Biswas) pushes Project Sahakar, an initiative by NIA chief Kulkarni (Dalip Tahil) aimed at stabilising the North-East, starting with Nagaland. Opposition comes from youth rebels and external forces like the China-backed Project Guan Yu. Meanwhile, the Collective - a secretive organisation of billionaires that operates through their fixer Meera (Nimrat Kaur) - runs its own agenda, hiring the ruthless mercenary Rukma (Jaideep Ahlawat) to derail Sahakar. Srikant, inevitably, gets caught in the middle and soon finds himself falsely implicated and on the run with his family.

'The Family Man' Season 3 Review - The Show's Strengths Return

The show leans into a classic spy-thriller trope: the agent forced to hide from his own organisation. Fortunately, The Family Man executes it with humour and warmth, especially when Srikant’s family finally gets a taste of the cloak-and-dagger chaos he deals with. His fake identity cards for them - complete with outrageous aliases - are a riot. The banter between Srikant and JK (a delightful Sharib Hashmi) continues to be the beating heart of the franchise, getting more screentime and the lines simply sparkle in their portions.

One of the series’ strengths is its ability to juggle multiple storylines while still humanising its antagonists. Season 3 continues this tradition with an astonishing cast: Seema Biswas, Jaideep Ahlawat, Aditya Srivastava, Priya Mani, Nimrat Kaur, Gul Panag, Sundeep Kishen, Shreya Dhanwanthary, Jugal Hansraj, Darshan Kumaar - and a surprise crossover cameo that had me grinning.

'The Family Man' Season 3 Review - Juggling Multiple Character Arcs

Not every character gets the depth they deserve. Sundeep Kishen, for instance, is woefully underutilised. And in the scramble to give every subplot screen time, the show sometimes jumps away from an arc just when it starts gaining traction.

Rukma is a dangerous operative who works entirely on his own terms and has no qualms about killing anyone who crosses him, often schooling them on what real bargaining power looks like. His arc initially gets interesting when he begins looking after the child of his former lover, hinting at a surprisingly compassionate side. Yet even then, the character never lets go of his nefarious streak, using the same kid to pull off a deadly operation. But just when the show seems to realise it’s making him too humane, the arc is abruptly dropped. And while Jaideep Manoj still nails a few killer line deliveries - especially in that standout scene with Bajpayee - Rukma slowly becomes a less compelling antagonist, with his motivations turning hazier.

Meera, meanwhile, is introduced as a badass lady boss who thrives in the shadows and takes no nonsense from men who question the femininity of authority. Nimrat plays her with the right amount of sass and sharpness. However, the character loses some of that bite once she joins hands with Rukma, who starts overshadowing her in their dynamic. Their camaraderie never feels fully fleshed out, and Rukma actually ends up diluting the value she brings to The Collective. Which is why, when they part ways with a hug, the moment feels unearned.

Even more questionable is the budding relationship between Zoya (Shreya Dhanwanthary), still grieving the loss of her colleague Milind (Sunny Hinduja), and Yatish (Harman Singha), the new TASC leader who is chasing Srikant and his family. The twist in their track is fairly predictable too.

And two seasons in, it still feels like The Family Man hasn’t quite warmed up to Suchitra - while Srikant gets to be apologetic and flawed, Suchitra remains written in a cold, distant manner. Also, what happened in Lonavala continues to be a mystery.

'The Family Man' Season 3 Review - Political Endeavouring

Politically, The Family Man plays it safe - at least compared to Season 1. The ongoing North Eastern conflict is largely pinned on external forces and greedy arms dealers, with rebel leaders like Stephen (Bhediya breakout Paalin Kabak) shown as pawns trapped in a bigger geopolitical mess. The way the show weaves in the many layers of a political conflict - Pakistan’s ISI, Myanmar’s military unrest, the CIA, MI5 - keeps things gripping.

The portrayal of the power-hungry PM Basu may be fictional - she still does press briefings, and news channels openly question her decisions, so definitely not the real world. But there are sly real-life echoes: the banning of Chinese apps after a terror attack, PR manoeuvring to preserve an image, and military operations designed for karara jawaab optics instead of long-term consequences. Even the dreaded IT Cell gets a cheeky Srikant Tiwari-style shout-out. The Family Man Season 2 Review: Manoj Bajpayee and Samantha Akkineni’s Series Feels a Major Disappointment in Its Second Outing.

There are also some nice callbacks to the first season, like Srikant's mom and in-laws recalling their 'Hindi' banter. Srikant, in a quieter moment, also acknowledges the tragedy of a wrongfully accused Muslim character from the previous season. Also, yes, all-knowing fan-favourite Chellam Sir (Uday Mahesh) returns with his SIM-card disposal tactics.

Technically, The Family Man Season 3 continues to impress. Raj & DK bring their trademark tracking shots and drone work into some expertly choreographed action sequences - the convoy chase through the forest and the assault on Rukma’s safehouse stand out in particular.

And yet, the new season suffers from the most frustrating habit of Indian web series: not knowing how to end a season cleanly. Several major threads are left dangling, waiting for the next season to resolve them. Season 1 had the same issue. I wasn’t a fan of Season 2’s LTTE arc, but at least it concluded properly. This time, the season leaves far too much hanging - something we could tolerate if the next season were right around the corner. But with a four-year wait between seasons, this approach really tests your patience.

'The Family Man' Season 3 Review - Final Thoughts

The Family Man Season 3 is gripping, funny, politically sharp (in very less outrageous manner) and filled with terrific performances, yet also guilty of narrative overstretch. When it works, it works spectacularly; when it occasionally loses buzz, you do feel it. Still, Manoj Bajpayee, Jaideep Ahlawat, and the rest of the fantastic cast and the show’s signature wit make this a season worth bingeing - even if it leaves you hanging in the end… again. The Family Man Season 3 is streaming on Prime Video.

(The opinions expressed in the above article are of the author and do not reflect the stand or position of LatestLY.)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 21, 2025 12:08 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).