Fielding multiple offers and shooting for back-to-back projects can be gratifying. But it also can be exhausting. Ask Manoj Bajpayee, who has worked at a break-neck pace all through 2025, shooting for The Family Man 3, Police Station Mein Bhoot, Inspector Zende, and a yet-untitled film with Divya Dutta. Now that his last offering of the year, The Family Man 3, is ready for release, the actor is looking forward to taking a well-deserved break.
Manoj Bajpayee in the teaser of ‘The Family Man 3’
A three-month break, Bajpayee told us, as we got on a call when he was returning from a long day of shoot. “I have completed almost all my shoots, and now I will start promoting The Family Man. After that, I have taken three-four months off work as I was working round-the-clock. I completed four-five projects in the past one year. I don’t like to be this busy, but I never complain. Since the past three years, good work has been [coming my way], so why let it go? My funda is to keep on working as long as there is good work,” he said.
Even as he terms it a break, Bajpayee can’t really stay away from films for too long. The actor admitted, “During the break, I will read scripts, take meetings, and wrap up other professional commitments.”
The spy thriller’s latest edition, which drops online on November 21, sees Jaideep Ahlawat and Nimrat Kaur join the cast
But for now, it’s all about The Family Man 3. The Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK-created series has given the actor arguably one of his most popular characters — the sharp but unassuming intelligence officer Srikant Tiwari. Anticipation is already building around the spy thriller’s third edition that also stars Jaideep Ahlawat and Nimrat Kaur, alongside series regulars Sharib Hashmi and Priyamani. What can we expect this time around? “While the first and second seasons were intense, this season has a lot of family sequences — interactions, conflicts, and organic humour stemming from their lives. It’s grittier, far more thrilling, and humorous,” he said.
Characters’ evolution is a given in long-format storytelling. Will the audience see some changes in Srikant Tiwari? He reflected, “Characters mature in creative works of art, and you can expect that from directors like Raj-DK and an actor like me. They are so good at storytelling and digging into every character’s nuances.”
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