It’s the season of spy dramas and Amazon Prime’s The Family Man is a fine addition to the genre. Much more than what it promises in the trailer, the 10-episode series starts off with building up the character of Srikant Tiwari, a middle-class spy who tries to strike a balance between his family and work and bridges the gap with his skillful lies that also showcases his talent in storytelling.
When humour meets thrill
This talent coupled with his capabilities as a spy comes handy at work while dealing with crucial situations that required strategy. He works at TASC (Threat Analysis And Surveillance Cell) a special cell of National Intelligence Agency that also works closely with RAW. The work at the organization is to prevent terror attacks and be vigilant all the time. Directed by Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK, the makers of Shor In the City and Go Goa Gone, the series despite being a spy thriller is nicely coated with humour which is a relief from the usual thrillers with heavy duty scenes and complex narratives.
Why Srikant Tiwari is no less than a desi superhero
As for Srikant Tiwari (Manoj Bajpayee) he would remind you of superheroes who are ordinary men without their masks but become larger than life once they get into their ‘character’. Only our protagonist is a spy here and his mask is invisible, but that doesn’t make him any less heroic with his superpowers being courage, presence of mind and of course storytelling skills.
True to the title of the series, he is a Family Man, who adores his family to bits but knows perfectly when to drop everything for his nation which is as dear to him as his wife and two children.
An out-and-out entertaining spy
Srikant Tiwari has a unique sense of humor and manages to tickle us even with a straight face. Considering he cannot reveal the true nature of his work to his family and the fact that he is a family man at his work, his storytelling skills often come to his rescue.
Summary of Episode 1 (Spoiler Alert)
The Episode 1 starts with three terrorists being caught by cost guards and then quickly moves on to the life of our down to earth spy who tries hard to fulfill the demands of his wife, children and boss while trying to please each one of them with his well-crafted lies.
Srikant’s wife Suchita (Priyamani) has accepted his lies as part of his personality and their life, but doesn’t know the truth of his work. Ironically, Suchita who otherwise comes across as a transparent person is also hiding a secret that her husband is blissfully unaware of. Priyamani delivers the nuances of her character right so far, and charms us with her screen presence.
Characters
Manoj’s little daughter Dhriti (Mehek Thakur) is her father’s daughter and lies at the drop of a hat, but much like him doesn’t let anybody know the motive behind it which ultimately could put her in a great jeopardy.
Sharib Hashmi as Srikant’s colleague JK Talpade is known for Filmistaan, Jab Tak Hai Jaan. So far, he is a natural and a delight to watch. Neeraj Madhav as Moosa impresses in the first episode with the one scene which is also the best one from the entire episode.
Shreya Dhanwanthary, the new recruit at TASC as Zoya is someone to watch out for in the digital space. She’s a good combo of tough and charming.
Not an ordinary spy thriller
Unlike most thrillers or spy dramas, the series is not just about guns, chases and sex. With humour as one of its main ingredients, there is no dearth of light-hearted and fun moments that will make you relax on your seats more than tensed and perched at the edge.
Best scenes
One of the most well-made scene of Episode 1 is when Srikant manages to get a terrorist out of hiding without a weapon with sheer melodrama.
Another one is when while talking to the principal, Srikant says the ‘F’ word after reading a text message because the prisoners have escaped. Unaware of the situation he’s in, the principal gets majorly upset with the irresponsible father, while he also gets a good lashing at home.
Conclusion
The episode ends in uncertainty as there is a potential bomb scare in the city. What will the calm and collected undercover agent do in the next episode.
First episode was a perfect watch. Watch this space for Episode 2 review.
Watch the trailer of the web series here:
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