The Family Man 2 Review: Raj & DK brings us a gripping story filled with anger, resentment and rage with astounding performances by Manoj Bajpayee & Samantha Akkineni
- Creator: Raj Nidimoru & Krishna DK
- Director: Raj Nidimoru, Krishna DK & Suparn Varma
- Star-cast: Manoj Bajpayee, Samantha Akkineni, Sharib Hashmi, Priyamani, Sharad Kelkar, Seema Biswas, Asif Basra, Ashlesha Thakur, Vedant Sinha
- Steaming on: Amazon Prime Video
- Rating: ****
Story:
The makers of The Family Man 2 surprised the fans by releasing the web show before the scheduled time. The show was supposed to start streaming by 12 am but was released earlier on Amazon Prime Video. All the episodes of the show are for 45 minutes and more, one of them is for 30 minutes. In this season, the story has been shifted from Delhi to Mumbai. After taking the guilt of the gas leak case, Srikant (Manoj Bajpayee) leaves his job at Threat Analysis and Surveillance Cell (TASC) and starts working at an IT Company and deals with the scoldings of his boss who is half his age. The family is still a mess as shown in the first season. His wife Suchitra (Priyamani) is taking counseling sessions, school is complaining about his younger son’s behavior whereas his daughter is having an affair with an unknown guy. One of the most accomplished officers Srikant Tiwari of ISI is trying to live his life like a family man. However, he misses his real job and keeps getting updates from his colleague and friend Talpade (Sharib).
The plot gets more interesting when Talpade is stuck in a hostage situation in Chennai while he is trying to nab Bhaskaran’s brother Shubhu. Indian Prime Minister – Basu agrees on handing Shubhu to the Sri Lankan government even at the risk of backlash in Tamil Nadu. National security hence gets at stake in between politicians and soldiers.
Then enters Raji aka Rajalaxmi (Samantha Akkineni) who is living undercover waiting for orders. Raji is a ruthless fighter who is capable of kicking asses with her bare hands. And when the orders finally come, the real cat and mouse chase begin.
Performances:
Manoj Bajpayee has this thing of presenting himself on screen that makes us forget that he is an actor and not the character. His expression doesn’t go wrong even for one second off-screen. At times, when the focus of the camera is not at his face completely, he has this perfection in his body language throughout.
Samantha Akkineni as Raji stole the show in this one. Her debut in the show came in with a big blast as she presented her character with utmost honesty. Every detail of her character throughout the show is a treat. Trying not to spill any spoilers but be it an expressionless lady who is being molested by men and her giving no reaction to being the badass who kicks asses of her enemies, she is extremely magnificent in the entire show.
Priyamani, just like the first season, is like a fresh breath of air in the show. Sharib Hashmi and his love towards Srikant is as sweet as his smile is. His dialogue delivery is on-point and his expression makes him a perfect fit for this show. Other actors are perfect with their roles.
Direction and writing:
The show, The Family Man 2 starts at a slow pace but then gets stronger and holds your attention throughout. This is one of those shows where you forget to blink because you are scared you might lose something interesting. With so many twists and turns, the maker knew how to keep their audience hooked. Writers including Raj Nidimoru, Krishna DK, Suparn Varma and Suman Kumar honestly presented a story that is hard to avoid watching. Every detail has been taken care of precisely in the show. A special mention of DOP Cameron Eric Bryson for his amazing camerawork.
Verdict:
After watching season one of The Family Man, I can surely say this show was worth waiting for. Do not skip this if you are hungry for good content and superlative performances.
