The Family Man is about a spy who works in NIA (National Investigation Agency) to protect the country from potential dangers. Now, don’t picture a romanticised version of a spy who has a macho body and chiseled looks, a hot girlfriend and a gun that he can use to his mercy. This spy is underpaid and drives an old model Santro. This spy has a family to protect that is always complaining about the little time that he spends with them. 

In the first episode itself, we’re given an insight into our protagonist, Srikant and his financial troubles. He asks his boss for a raise to apply for a home loan. His children don’t like the car he drives and prefer to be dropped a few metres away from their posh school. If Srikant’s work is unrelatable, his problems make the viewers connect with him. 

We see two sides of Srikant in the show - the spy side and the family man side. His professional and personal life often intermingle and both are given equal weightage. On one hand, he makes TASC proud by hunting down terrorists and on the other hand he disappoints his wife by forgetting to pick up the kids from school. The poster of the series shows him holding a grocery bag in one hand and a gun in another and that aptly sums up Srikant’s character as he juggles between the roles of a spy, a husband and a father. 

The scenes of Srikant’s work and his family’s life are shown in tandem with each other which makes it clear that this isn’t just another show about a spy on a mission. The series has its small moments of comedy which provide relief from its intense scenes.  

The story is gripping and keeps the audience asking for more. Many plots play out in the story - TASC and the terrorists, Suchi and Arvind, Dhriti and her teenage dramas, Kareem and Jonali. I have to appreciate the cast of the show as they do justice to their roles and don’t make their characters look caricaturised. The makers of the show have cast Kashmiri actors to play Kashmiri roles to maintain the authenticity of the characters.

The show also has strong female characters who are not just defined in relation to the male characters and have important bearing on the twists and turns of the story. The character of the wife of the spy is often side-lined and given only so much space, however, this is not true in the case of The Family Man. Srikant’s wife, Suchitra is a college professor. She has a life beyond her husband and kids. She is an ambitious woman whose career is no less important than that of her husband. This show about a spy and terrorist also deals with themes of marriage and infidelity and you will find yourself thinking about the dynamic between Srikant and Suchi long after the show is over. 

The show does a rare but great job of not showing the Pakistan authorities in a bad light. It doesn’t blatantly blame Pakistan for all the terrorist activities taking place. It explores how most of these terrorists work for their own selfish motives and not for the greater good of their country or religion as they claim.

The cinematography of the show is also praise-worthy as it makes the scenes riveting. Although I felt the story was a little slow at first, things started to move fast and I was completely hooked. Before I knew it, the season came to an end. The ending doesn’t connect all the pieces of the puzzle but there’s an upcoming season 2 for that.

The Family Man has a thrilling and well-knit storyline with power packed performances by Manoj Bajpayee, Priyamani and Neeraj Madhav. I would definitely recommend this show if you are looking for something exciting to watch.

Series Rating: 4/5