'The Family Man S3' review: Hit web series loses its edge in third season

Raj and DK are back with another season of ‘The Family Man’. Intelligence officer Srikanth Tiwari (Manoj Bajpayee) must once again strike a balance between protecting his country and his family — who, this time, are more tangled than ever in events that could lead to a major conflict between countries. Will Tiwari stop a war this time, especially when he is on the run and is being hunted by his own organisation?

This season of ‘The Family Man’ is set in the northeastern states of India. Its focus is on border tensions between India and Myanmar and covert Chinese operations in the region. While the first two seasons dealt with specific terror threats, the third season looks at terrorism from a wider perspective, spanning geopolitics, misinformation, foreign intelligence and the business of warfare. This gives scope for multiple villains — Jaideep Ahlawat as Rukma, a drug smuggler who is the main antagonist, and Nimrat Kaur as an international agent. Ahlawat and Nimrat share a palpable chemistry.

After two seasons, Srikanth and other recurring characters are now quite predictable. As a result, the show lacks suspense and excitement. A few exceptions are the scenes that capture the toll on Srikanth’s personal life, and some moments among family members, especially the ones involving his son Atharv (Vedant Sinha).

The northeast seems to be the new favourite destination for Indian filmmakers (‘Paatal Lok’ was also set in Nagaland). Are the filmmakers trying to nudge the ruling government to do something about the region’s woes? Or is it simply a welcome change of scenery?