The Family Man Season 3 REVIEW: Manoj Bajpayee, Jaideep Ahlawat’s Performance Is Not Enough To Save A Half Baked Script

Film:
The Family Man Season 3

Creators: Raj & DK

Directors: Raj & DK, Suman Kumar, Tusshar Seyth

Writers: Raj & DK

Cast: Manoj Bajpayee, Jaideep Ahlawat, Sharib Hashmi, Nimrat Kaur, Priyamani, Ashlesha Thakur, Vedant Sinha, Shreya Dhanwanthary, Seema Biswas, Gul Panag, Darshan Kumar, Aditya Srivastava, Dalip Tahil

Runtime: 7 episodes of approx. 50 minutes each (around 6 hours)

Platform: Prime Video

The Family Man Season 3 REVIEW

Senior officer of the Threat Analysis and Surveillance Cell (TASC), Srikant Tiwari (Manoj Bajpayee) is a wanted man. Srikant – along with his wife Suchitra (Priyamani), kids Dhriti (Ashlesha) & Aharv (Vedant Sinha) and best friend JK (Sharib Hashmi) are on run from TASC and the police. But why? What has this man – who placed his job above his marriage and family, done to be declared the enemy of state and have an arrest warrant issued against his name just days after surviving a 90% fatal attack that claimed the lives of many? To know these answers and whether or not Srikant is able to clear his name and let his family return to their home in Mumbai, one needs to watch TFM3. But is it worth a watch? Read our honest The Family Man Season 3 review to know the answer.

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The season begins with a bomb blast in Nagaland’s Kohima followed by several more attacks in many cities in across the Seven Sisters (Northeastern region of India). We are then shown Srikant travelling to Nagaland with mentor and boss Kulkarni (Dalip Tahil) to make sure Project Sahakar – a defense and development project (which is actually a classified mission to counter China’s Project Guan Yu) happens. At the same time, the duo – along with David Khuzou, want to make sure their in peace in the region and that the different separatist group work with the government for the betterment of the people.

However, nothing goes according to plan as in steps this season’s mastermind Meera (Nimrat Kaur) – a composed but ruthless ‘businesswoman’ who will stop at nothing to make sure she gets what she wants and further her agenda(s). We then meet Rukma (Jaideep Ahlawat) – an assassin who has a stone for a heart and hates taking orders. When these antagonists join forces, not only is Srikant’s personal and professional lives almost up in smoke but so is the country, its leaders, TASC and many more innocent people.

What Works

Manoj Bajpayee – as always, has brought Srikant to live with love, heart and soul. Jaideep Ahlawat is menacing as Rukma and makes you both hate and sympathies with his character. The comedy in the midst of tension, bromance between Srikant and JK and the Tiwari family attempting to built burnt bridges also win hearts.

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What Doesn’t Work

The script is half baked and predictable. The narrative is stretched – despite being only 7 episodes long, and leaves you wanting more. Nimrat Kaur’s Meera begins strong but gets lost as the episodes roll by – and that’s bad, given that she’s the big, bad wolf orchestrating everything. Thought there are clashes between Shrikant and the baddies (only Rukma – spoiler alert!), The Family Man 3 lacks the intense and lengthier scenes we were treated to in the earlier seasons.

Technical Analysis

Direction

Joining Raj & DK on the director’s table is Suman Kumar and Tusshar Seyth. While at times many brains working together helps make better product, TFM3 turned out to be the result of too many cooks spoiling the soup. This broth – which has been simmering for 4 years, last the needed – and much-wanted, action, drama and confrontation. The brilliance of the directors is visible only during certain sequences. The inconsistency is disappointing as it was one of the most anticipated series of 2025.

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Story & Screenplay

As mentioned in the title, the script writing is weak. With predictable plots, this spy thriller pretty much lost all its thrill. However, the characters – aside from Nimrit’s Meera, are penned well and fleshy, giving each an interesting arc. The dialogue – especially the one-liners, are the highlight of The Family Man Season 3.

Editing, Cinematography, Music

TFM3 has delivered in all three departments – they aren’t award worthy but aren’t disappointing either.

The Family Man 3 Star Cast

Manoj Bajpayee as Srikant Tiwari is the star of The Family Man 3 with ‘Rukma’ Jaideep coming in hot as a close second.

Manoj’s acting is spectacular and you can genuinely see his fear as he thinks about how he and his family will over come being branded as traitors. While his insecure and fearful side is clearly visible, he still manages to make the audience chuckle with his casual, sarcastic one-liners that we have loved since S1.

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Jaideep Ahlawat delivers as the chilling antagonist of TFM3. He’s brilliant. Rukma is the perfect anti-hero to Srikant’s chaotic energy with his restrained and calculated performance. His presence elevates this season to another level and his arc is commendable. Nimrat Kaur – though she brings a sharp, negative presence, fails to leave an impact – blame the writing. Her character is shallow and will remind you of Priyanka Chopra’s deadly avatar from Baywatch; alas it fails to have to same effect.

Sharib Hashmi’s JK – as always, is the heart of TASC and the emotional anchor for Srikant. His character once again provides brilliant comic relief but still adds to the narrative. His and Shrikant’s banter is arguably the best part of this spy thriller.

Priyamani delivers a strong performance as the struggling wife dealing with the a number of stresses. Her emotional turmoil adds necessary, crucial domestic tension. ‘Dhriti’ Ashlesha Thakur and ‘Aharv’ Vedant Sinha bring depth to the narrative with their GenZ attitude and emotional maturity.

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The other characters of the show help in talking the story forward strong arc. Especially, Harman Singha is trying to nab Srikanth and Shreya Dhanwantari’s Zoya, along with Gul Panag’s Saloni, trying to save Srikant.

Conclusion

To be honest, The Family Man season 3 is not worth the 4 year wait. While season 1 & 2 were much longer (S1 – 10 episodes, S2- 8 episodes), this season’s 7 episodes delivered a rushed, predictable, half baked and unsatisfactory story. While the first episode will capture your attention, you will soon began disconnecting and only still watching it to know what happens in the end. The twists and turns – though predictable, and stellar performances do keep you engaged. However, the weak screenplay isn’t enough to justify nearly spending around 6 hours of your life.

Hope TFM season 4 doesn’t take as long to release.

Watch the trailer of The Family Man Season 3 here:

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Grinell Jacinto

With nearly 10 years of experience, Grinell Esther Jacinto is the Desk Head of Bollywood Bubble. Her interests lie in everything that is kaleshi and she loves to dig deeper into the lives of B-town actors. She has a problem though – she loves horror films but will have chills the minute the theatres lights dims. She’s previously worked with Koimoi, UrbanAsian and SpotboyE.