The Family Man Season 3 (2025) Series ft. Priyamani, Sharib, and Manoj

When The Family Man Season 3 dropped on Prime Video, I was ready. Four years felt like forever after that Season 2 cliffhanger. Manoj Bajpayee’s back as Srikant Tiwari, and this time he’s not just fighting terrorists—he’s running for his life. Raj & DK brought in heavy hitters like Jaideep Ahlawat and Nimrat Kaur, while keeping our favorites Priyamani and Sharib Hashmi.

This season shifts gears completely. Set in Northeast India, the story gets personal fast. Srikant isn’t the hidden hero anymore—he’s branded a criminal. Watching him drag his confused family through this nightmare while trying to expose the real villains? That’s the hook.

When Everything Goes Wrong for Srikant

The story opens with the government’s peace mission in Nagaland. Srikant’s there to protect his boss during talks with rebel leaders. Then bombs go off, people die, and someone Srikant cares about doesn’t make it. That hits hard.

But here’s the twist that got me—Srikant becomes the main suspect in a major assassination. Suddenly he’s India’s most wanted. Now he’s fleeing with his family, desperately trying to prove his innocence while uncovering who actually orchestrated this mess.

The threats pile up from every direction. There’s Rukma, this ruthless drug lord played by Jaideep Ahlawat, who’s out for blood. Then there’s Meera, this shadowy figure working with foreign powers. Add Chinese interference at the border, and you’ve got a pressure cooker ready to explode.

I really dug the first two episodes. They throw you straight into chaos without wasting time. Season 2 took forever to get going, but this one hits the ground sprinting. The middle portion though? It sags a bit. Things pick back up in episodes six and seven, but that ending—oof. More on that later.

JK’s comedy still lands when you need it most. His friendship with Srikant provides those breathing moments between intense sequences. But that final scene left me more annoyed than curious about what’s next.

Bajpayee and Ahlawat Steal the Show

Manoj Bajpayee makes playing Srikant look effortless. He’s tired, scared, but still cracking jokes while bullets fly past. That balance between vulnerability and toughness? Not many actors pull it off like he does. His one-liners during shootouts never miss.

But Jaideep Ahlawat as Rukma? Game changer. This guy brings such quiet menace to every scene. He’s scary because he doesn’t need to yell or show off. Just his presence makes you nervous. I found myself almost rooting for him at times because of how his backstory unfolds. Critics aren’t wrong when they say he sometimes outshines the lead.

Priyamani as Suchitra carries real emotional weight this season. The fear of losing her husband, the anger at his lies—it all feels genuine. Sharib Hashmi’s JK remains the show’s emotional core. His comic timing is perfect, but he also nails those serious friendship moments. Nimrat Kaur plays Meera with such calculated coldness that you can’t look away.

The rest of the cast holds up well too. Shreya Dhanwanthary brings intensity as Zoya. The Tiwari kids feel authentic in their confusion and fear. Even smaller roles like Seema Biswas as the Prime Minister add texture to the world.

What Really Works Here

The action choreography deserves praise. These aren’t your typical Bollywood fight scenes with guys flying through the air. Everything feels brutal and grounded. The way they edited those sequences—the cuts, the transitions—keeps your heart racing.

Visually, the show maintains its high standards. Northeast India looks both beautiful and dangerous through their lens. The production design makes it feel like a premium international show rather than a typical Indian web series.

The Vijay Sethupathi cameo connecting this to Farzi? Brilliant move. That whole 15-minute stretch had me laughing so hard. Raj & DK know how to build their universe without making it feel gimmicky. Social media exploded over this crossover for good reason.

This season also finally lets the family in on Srikant’s secret. Watching his kids and wife process everything adds interesting new layers to their relationships. The family dynamics work better when everyone knows the truth.

Where It Falls Short

My biggest problem? This feels too much like Paatal Lok Season 2. Same setting, similar political tensions, and Jaideep Ahlawat in both? The comparison was impossible to avoid. Even though the stories go different directions, that freshness factor took a hit.

The pacing gets wonky in the middle. Some scenes drag on longer than needed. I expected Raj & DK to keep things tighter. They also lean into predictable spy thriller beats that the first two seasons smartly avoided. That template approach felt lazy.

That ending though—it killed the momentum. Srikant crashes his car and we don’t know if he survives? Rukma’s fate is unclear? Too many loose threads dangling. Setting up Season 4 is fine, but this felt rushed and incomplete. I wanted a satisfying conclusion to this chapter, not homework for next year.

Srikant also feels less central compared to earlier seasons. The antagonists get more interesting arcs. His family makes some questionable decisions during critical moments that didn’t ring true. The grounded, realistic approach that made the show special sometimes disappears into generic action territory.

What the Critics Said

Reviews landed mostly positive with reservations. 123Telugu gave it 3 out of 5, calling out strong performances but weak pacing. Koimoi loved it, saying Raj & DK still deliver quality consistently. They praised how Jaideep elevates everything he touches.

Pinkvilla highlighted the technical excellence and gripping action. But The Week called it the weakest season, saying it lacks the tight writing of previous installments. Rotten Tomatoes praised Manoj’s grounded performance while admitting the season feels unsatisfying overall.

IMDb users rated it 8.7 out of 10 based on over 106,000 votes. Individual episodes sit between 7.3 and 7.6, showing solid quality if not spectacular. Hindustan Times emphasized how Bajpayee captures desperation and determination like never before.

Fans Spoke Their Minds

Twitter reactions split hard. Many praised the Bajpayee-Ahlawat dynamic, calling their scenes electrifying. The Vijay Sethupathi moment became the unanimous highlight. People couldn’t stop talking about that Farzi connection.

But plenty of disappointment surfaced too. The abrupt ending frustrated viewers big time. Many labeled it the weakest season, feeling it lacked the earlier magic. The Paatal Lok comparison kept coming up—people felt they were watching familiar territory.

Fans missed that perfect mix of humor, thrills, and emotion. The cliffhanger generated irritation more than excitement. Despite the complaints, viewership stayed strong. The show trended all day on release, showing people still care deeply about Srikant’s story.

Bottom line from viewers? Still good television, but not the exceptional experience we’ve come to expect. It’s entertaining enough if you’re already invested, just don’t expect another masterpiece.

Rating: 3.5/5

The Family Man Season 3 delivers solid spy thriller entertainment. Manoj Bajpayee and Jaideep Ahlawat give powerhouse performances that make the show worth watching. The action sequences impress, the production looks expensive, and the technical work stays sharp throughout.

But pacing stumbles in the middle, that cliffhanger ending frustrates rather than excites, and similarities to other recent shows reduce its impact. It’s still better than most Indian web content out there. After the brilliance of Seasons 1 and 2 though, this one takes a step back. Watch it if you’re invested in where Srikant’s journey goes, but maybe adjust those sky-high expectations a notch.