(Alert: The article contains spoilers)
Manoj Bajpayee is a stellar actor. There’s very little that I have seen of this guy which doesn’t make me believe in the character he plays. But every time I will see him in a role other than Srikant Tiwari, I WILL think of Srikant Tiwari. That's how believable he is in The Family Man. As for this series, both seasons are simply phenomenal.
You may as audience expect that the second season might bring in a little lull considering you have already pulled in the tricks to get the audience interested, but Raj and DK and writer Suman Kumar took the second season to an even more evolved level. Blurring the lines between the good and bad guys, the purpose of agents who work for a country versus the idea of terrorism, there’s nothing that wasn’t touched upon.
While I watched the second season of The Family Man, there were certain things that stood out instantly.
1. Seema Biswas Seems Modelled on Mamata Banerjee
From the moment Seema Biswas enters the frame and every time we see her, there’s a striking resemblance between her character, Prime Minister Basu, and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Basu’s politics, the passion, negotiations and her leading attitude as the PM in the series made many ponder. To think that this written and shot before we saw the West Bengal elections this year, there are chills running down my spine.
2. Dhriti (Ashlesha Thakur) is a Revelation
Srikant Tiwari’s daughter in the series, Dhriti (played by Ashlesha Thakur), is a total revelation. After the first season many seemed to rave about Manoj Bajpayee’s on-screen son in the series but in this season, the writers carve out the purpose for Dhriti and how.
3. Samantha Akkineni is Fab But What’s With the Brownface?
Honestly speaking, I have only read good things about Samantha Akkineni and I have learned that she enjoys a huge fan following amongst the Tamil and Telugu audience. Samantha as Raji in the second season of The Family Man is nothing but ruthless. The actor can be seen in intense hand-to-hand combats, killing people, taking on opponents, and her expressions leave the viewer feeling the pain and the hardened attitude.
But can I get past her brownface? No! A hundred times no. It’s great that the makers managed to get most of the cast on point and Samantha Akkineni’s acting skills bring out the monster Raji has become, but the make-up to darken skin is jarring and took me a second to get used to in every scene she appears.
4. Take a Shot Every Time You See a Jump Cut…
There are SO many. Lowkey, I want to have a word with the editor, like what’s up man? Why you be giving my eyes a mini heart attack every now and then? So, if you’re trying to find way of making it more survivable…make it a drinking game? Why not?
5. Everyone Needs a JK in Their Life…
Sri and JK (played by Sharib Hashmi) are like two sides of the same coin. Their being is the same and they can’t change, but every now and then you meet the side of JK, as a friend, who keeps trying to drill sense into Sri when it comes to his personal life or even helping him hear what he needs to hear from a friend. He’s Sri’s sounding board like no other. But JK, what’s with you casually talking to your friend when on a mission in an ‘otherwise’ stressful situation.
But if you don’t have a JK in life, you’re incomplete.
6. I Would Not Mind Watching the Final Episode on a Big Screen
It really helps the series that it’s shot so well. Cameron Eric Bryson, known for his work in X Men, The Day After Tomorrow, has done a great job at capturing every nuance in the scene and why not…he’s been a stunt director for years and knows what makes for good shot, pun intended. As the climax approaches, the crisp storytelling building up to the final scene keeps the viewers hooked even though you know Sri will save the day, he has to.
7. The Subtle Humour
Whether it’s JK or Sri’s son Atharv or the little banter among the TASC agents, the little spurts of humour have been done in a way that add a touch of humour and light-heartedness.
To add to this, there are scenes with the 28-yr-old IT company head who asks of Sri to not be a “minimum guy” and everything gears up to the final scene with him where we see Sri’s frustration build up and he whacks him in the conference room. You feel like Sri has been liberated and that’s a point of connect for the character with his audience.
With their first ever TV Series, Raj & DK have changed storytelling and pushed the bar for an Indian series. The two, along with the team, have managed to keep the audience interested in every character and it just helps their case that they are smart enough to know how to take it forward in following season. Cue – biowarfare? Or something else that’ll blow our minds completely?
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