Explained - Manoj Bajpayee’s Srikant Tiwari loses his edge and style in The Family Man Season 3, read to know why?

Manoj Bajpayee’s charm, rooted in his ability to humanise a world-class intelligence officer, made Srikant one of Indian OTT’s most loved characters.

The Family Man Season 3 release on Prime Video today and all the diehard fans of Srikant Tiwari played by the very talented Manoj Bajpayee couldn't have been happier.

Across its first two instalments, The Family Man has built its identity around Srikant Tiwari, the unlikely middle-class hero who balanced national security threats with family, office pressure, and hilarious deadpan comebacks.

Manoj Bajpayee’s charm, rooted in his ability to humanise a world-class intelligence officer, made Srikant one of Indian OTT’s most loved characters.

But in Season 3, his character seems to be at loss, and it takes a noticeably different path - one that has left us wondering where the essence of Srikant Tiwari disappeared.

Season 3 shifts focus to the Northeast and Srikant goes on a secret mission to the volatile area but due to heightened stakes and unrelenting tension, it strips away the flavours that made his character so compelling.

His humour, his quirky timing, and even his relatable lingo takes a backseat. Instead, for the first time in the series' three seasons - viewers get to see that fear overshadows his personality.

While fear is a valid arc for a man dealing with dangerous insurgencies and intelligence failures, the writing never allows this transition to feel organic.

Viewers see more chase sequences involving Srikant than actual action performed by him, making him look more reactive than strategic, more anxious than authoritative.

One will also miss the usual Tiwari and JK chemistry. JK Talpade played by Sharib Hashmi plays the character to the T. Their fun banter which is effortless, irreverent, and often the emotional backbone of the show has been toned down a little this season.

The duo that once elevated tense situations with humour finds itself separated by the screenplay’s need to expand multiple subplots. Without their camaraderie, Srikant is lonelier.

In Season 3 of Family Man, the story moves to the situation in the Northeast, which is a daring and necessary option. The cultural subtleties and political issues are interesting, but the execution isn't quite right.

The focus keeps changing, which makes it hard for spectators to understand what the main issue is. And in the middle of all these storylines, Srikant's own path seems less important.

When the season finally ends at a cliffhanger, we see a Srikant who is vulnerable, shaken, and unsure a compelling direction on paper, but without enough build-up to justify the sudden emotional collapse.

The ending leaves audiences uncertain about where the story intends to go.

The much-talked-about scene between Srikant and Jaideep Ahlawat's (Rukma) character in the last episode was a big missed chance. Audiences were expecting tension, conflict, and a memorable fight when two powerful actors like Ahlawat and Bajpayee are in the same frame. But the scenario is uneasily calm, and the characters don't seem to get the emotion they deserve.

There is no verbal duel, no psychological push-and-pull — just a short interaction that neither advances the plot nor deepens Srikant’s arc.

Considering Manoj Bajpayee’s ability to elevate even a mildly written moment, the underutilisation of this pairing is one of the season’s biggest creative missteps.

The Family Man’s strength has always been its ability to keep Srikant relatable while placing him in astonishingly dangerous circumstances. But Season 3 leans more on chases, misinformation politics, and sprawling geography than on character depth.

Also read: Raj and DK recall a US filmmaker once advised them not to make The Family Man; he said, 'This show is not going to work'

Bajpayee continues to deliver a controlled, thoughtful performance — but the material does not give him enough space to break, joke, think, or lead with conviction.

In Season 3, Srikant may have lost his essence but perhaps the journey to getting it back is what will define the show’s next chapter.

Family Man Season 3 is streaming on Prime Video. It also stars Nimrit Kaur, Jaideep Ahlawat, Priyamani, Vedant Sinha, Ashlesha Thakur and Shreya Dhanwanthary.