After a four-year hiatus, Prime Video’s hit Indian spy thriller The Family Man is finally returning for a third season, but cast and creators say the extended development period was necessary to maintain the show’s high quality standards.
“It does take a long time. You don’t churn out a season that quickly, and we weren’t going to rush into it if it wasn’t good,” co-creator Raj said in a roundtable with Variety in Mumbai after the trailer was released. The creative duo behind the series admitted that the main purpose of the long development cycle was to ensure that season 3 lived up to fan expectations while working on other projects.
Manoj Bajpayee reprises his role as Srikant Tiwari, a man from a middle-class family who secretly works as an intelligence agent. However, the actor revealed that returning to the character after such a hiatus comes with unique challenges.
“People think it’s a given that it will be an easy win because I’ve been playing for Srikanth Tiwari for two seasons. But that’s not the case,” Bajpayee said. “These are completely different times. Srikanth Tiwari is in a different era and facing a completely different nemesis. The situation is completely different.”
In Season 3, Srikanth finds himself in an unprecedented position of vulnerability and races against time to protect himself, his family, and his nation from an impending threat. This means that the hunter has become the hunted. “He is trying to accept everything he has lost in the last four years. He is trying to build something new,” Vajpayee said. “He’s not at his best in this movie. The story doesn’t give him that chance. It’s like the circumstances don’t give him the chance to be what he was.”
The new season will feature two formidable antagonists, Rukma played by Jaydeep Ahlawat and Meera played by Nimrat Kaur. Both actors spoke about the challenges of joining such an established series.
“I knew that the world I was going to enter was going to be everything else I had come prepared for,” Kaul says. She likened this experience to the production of “HOMELAND” and said that because of the unpredictability of the situation, “we were able to maintain a constant sense of tension and create a healthy creative environment.” “Culture and it’s about to… something great happen. That ball was always in the air.”
The series is set in northeast India, between Mumbai and Nagaland. Ahlawat, who previously starred in season 2 of ‘Paatal Lok’, which is set in Nagaland, expressed his excitement to return to the region in a different capacity. “It felt different this time, when I was in Kohima (the capital of Nagaland) and playing a completely different character. I stand up and suddenly find myself in the same place, in a different mindset. But it was fun,” he said, referring to his role as the menacing Rukma.
The creative team explained that the extended schedule was partially due to the complexity of developing a new adversary. “It took a long time to unravel the footprints of Rukma and Meera. They were sworn enemies, adversaries. So it was a big deal,” Raj says.
Co-creator DK added that even after making the decision to continue with the season, the production schedule required a significant investment. “It will take almost a year to develop, and probably another year to complete. So in any case, we have a two-year timeline for creation,” he says.
Nikhil Madhok, director and head of originals at Prime Video India, also spoke about the extended development period. “When you make a great series, people watch it all Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, and they ask when the next season is going to be. And it actually takes three to four years to put together a great series, because it’s almost like making two and a half movies,” he says.
Madhok emphasized the importance of maintaining quality over speed. “What you don’t want to do is produce a substandard season because there’s such a strong tradition, so it’s better to only do it when you’re right than to try to rush it and get it wrong,” he says.
Both returning cast members Sharib Hashmi, who plays JK Talpad, and Priyamani, who plays Suchitra Tiwari, spoke about the ease of returning to their roles. “I really enjoy playing a JK. I enjoy going to the sets of ‘The Family Man,'” says Hashmi.
Describing herself as a “very precise actress”, Priyamani said that once on set with Vajpayee and the directors, “we just go with the flow”. She added that the well-written script made preparations easier. “I know what the scene is and what’s going to happen, so when I get on set I’m about 50 percent mentally prepared,” she says.
Seema Biswas, who plays a politician in the series, spoke about the challenges of her role. “I think playing the role of a politician is very difficult and very technical,” she says. “They try to make her a political figure, but she’s a human being. She’s a human being too. There’s human emotion there, too. So try to portray it that way.”
Veteran actor Dalip Tahir, who plays the recurring character Kulkarni, recalled having been part of the series since its inception in 2018, when streaming had just started in India. “‘Family Man’ is very meaningful and important for me, as well as for the huge audience in this country, because for the first time on an OTT (streaming) platform in this country, we are witnessing the success of a show that is so strongly backed and supported by the script and its brilliant direction,” he says.
Vipin Sharma, another regular cast member, spoke about how he ended up joining the show. “I saw Raj and DK’s ‘Shawl’ and loved it. I have a habit of seeing something that really moves me, and I try to find people who are doing it and get in touch with them,” he says. “One day, out of the blue, I got a call from DK and said, “We need you in three days.” And I thought, “Wow,” and I became a part of it. It also proves that like-mindedness truly creates beauty in this world. ”
Vajpayee praised Raj and DK for creating a supportive atmosphere on the sets. “One of the key elements of ‘The Family Man’ (that) really moved me, aside from the greatness of the script, was the atmosphere on set,” he says. “Raj and DK have a great ability to create an atmosphere where everyone works together. There’s no hierarchy. Everyone contributes.”
The actor recalled that starting in Season 1, rehearsals were held in a van, with the cast eating lunch together and workshopping scenes. “That’s how it started, and I’m very happy that it’s still going that way,” says Vajpayee. “How many years has it been? Seven or eight years, but the atmosphere and work culture are the same.”
Writer and director Suman Kumar explained the creative team’s approach to keeping the series fresh throughout the seasons. “I don’t think you look at audience statistics and figure out what works. I don’t think that’s the case. I think the story chooses you,” he says. “One of the biggest traits I learned from Raji and DK is to not compromise on staying fresh.”
Kumar reveals that after season 1 focused on Islamic terrorism and season 2 moved into the story of the Tamil Tigers, the team intentionally decided to explore the northeastern part of India in season 3. “India is one country and has many worlds. So let’s explore the world,” he says.
Dialogue writer Sumit Arora emphasized the importance of staying connected to modern language and emotions. “The only thing I try to be careful about is staying connected to the ground, keeping my ear to the ground,” he says. “As the world progresses, so does Srikanth and his world, his family progresses, his children grow up, so you always have to keep your eyes and ears open to the language and the types of things that people are using in this day and age.”
Ashleesha Thakur, a young cast member who plays Dhriti Tiwari, talked about her character’s evolution as she goes to college in season three. She recalled the emotional difficulties of season 2, when her character was kidnapped. “I spoke to Suman. I spoke to Raj sir, and I broke down in tears on the sets. Because that’s what they say. Yes, you should keep your character on the sets. You should never take it back,” she says.
When asked about the possibility of a season 4, Madhok acknowledged the studio’s interest, but maintained the same quality-first approach. “Are we enthusiastic about The Family Man 4? Absolutely. But we will continue to maintain that standard. Firstly, The Family Man 3 should be loved by everyone. And secondly, the fourth film has to be a compelling story,” he says.
Co-creator Raj cryptically adds, “If you watch season 3, that question will be answered.”
Season 3 of “The Family Man” will premiere worldwide on Prime Video on November 21st. The series also stars Vedant Sinha, Shreya Dhanwanthary, Gul Panag, Seema Biswas, Jugal Hansraj and Aditya Srivastava.
