The makers of Amazon Prime’s web series The Family Man have brought on board actress Samantha Akkineni to essay a major role in the second season of the show which commenced shoot a few days back. The series starring National Award winners Manoj Bajpayee as ‘Srikant Tiwari’ and Priyamani as ‘Suchitra’ in lead roles has garnered good reviews for the first season comprising ten episodes that premiered on the OTT platform on September 20.
The action-drama thriller series is based on real-life events and geopolitics whilst also speaking of the life of a middle-class man striving to strike a balance between his personal and professional life. Directed and bankrolled by Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK, known for creations such as Shor In The City and Go Goa Gone, under their D2R Films banner, the original marked their debut in the digital space.
Actress Samantha took to Instagram to announce the news.
The actress who is foraying into the digital medium is reportedly playing a negative role in the series, though there is no official confirmation from the makers. “With the digital space booming, I knew I had to be a part of this revolution. What better way to make my digital debut, than with one of India’s most loved series – The Family Man. I have loved Raj & DK’s work and given the global reach and standing of Amazon Prime Video, I couldn’t have asked for better partners. The role I play for the show is different from anything I have done before. It will certainly surprise and delight my fans,” said Samantha in a press statement.
Manoj too said that he was extremely elated and overwhelmed with the appreciation from audiences and fans for his performance in the series. “I am grateful to Raj and DK and Amazon Prime Video for their faith in me and giving me an opportunity to play the flawed but extremely relatable Srikant Tiwari. The experience of working with Amazon Prime Video has been phenomenal and I am truly excited for season 2,” said the actor.
Amazon Prime Video’s India director and head of content, Vijay Subramaniam said that the reception is usually massive only with international series’ that are made under the spy-thriller genre. “We are happy to see this global phenomenon recreated in India for The Family Man. Interestingly, the show was loved both by audiences in India and abroad. It has become our most watched Amazon Original Series in India. We are thrilled to be working with the talented duo Raj and DK for another successful season of The Family Man.”
Raj & DK, the makers of the series said, “The Family Man has become a global sensation and we couldn’t be happier associating with Amazon Prime Video to make this happen. While we hoped that audiences would like and relate to the show, what has truly overwhelmed us is the magnitude of love we received within days of the release. Our pan-Indian cast has also been getting amazing appreciation from audiences across the country. We are delighted to announce that we are coming back with a new season that promises more edge-of-the-seat drama and thrill – the plot will thicken.”
Welcome aboard @Samanthaprabhu2. This is going to be an awesome ride!! #TheFamilyMan #TheFamilyMan2
— Raj & DK (@rajndk) November 28, 2019
The cast includes Sharib Hashmi (Srikant’s colleague J.K. Talpade), Neeraj Madhav (as Moosa Rahman), Sharad Kelkar (Suchitra’s former colleague Arvind), Gul Panag (as Saloni), Sundeep Kishan (as Major Vikram), Darshan Kumaar (as Major Sameer), Sunny Hinduja (as Milind), Shreya Dhanwantary (as new agent Zoya), Shahab Ali (as terrorist Sajid), Pawan Chopra (as Srikant’s boss Mr. Sharma), Dalip Tahil (as Srikant’s mentor Kulkarni). Cinematographers Azim Moolan and Nigam Bomzan are both cranking camera with Sumeet Kotian on the edit and Sachin-Jigar composing for the series. Suman Kumar has penned the story for both seasons.
Tamil actor Devadarshini too will be seen in the series.
Recently, the series was nominated for the Critics’ Choice Shorts and Series Awards 2019 under several categories like ‘Best Editing’, ‘Best Writing’, ‘Best Series (Drama)’.
Congratulations Team ‘The Family Man’!@PrimeVideoIN @SrikantTFM @rajndk #thefamilyman #ccssa https://t.co/KAYDgjPO82
— Raj & DK (@rajndk) November 29, 2019
Congratulations @sumank!@PrimeVideoIN @SrikantTFM @rajndk #TheFamilyMan #ccssa https://t.co/uBfImhUkjC
— Raj & DK (@rajndk) November 29, 2019
Watch the trailer of the series here.
Meanwhile, Samantha who was last seen in Telugu headlining BV Nandini Reddy‘s Oh Baby and in a cameo appearance in Nagarjuna starrer Manmadhudu 2, will next feature in the Telugu remake of the Vijay Sethupathi–Trisha starrer 96 helmed by Prem Kumar, the director of the original alongside actor Sharwanand. The film has reportedly completed shoot and will hit screens soon.
Watch the trailer of 96 here.
Also read,
‘Moosa In The Family Man Is Unlike Any Character I Have Played Before’: Actor Neeraj Madhav
‘The Family Man Is The Food The Artiste In Me Has Been Hungry For’: Priyamani
In A Fortnight, Director Prem Kumar Will Wrap Up The Shooting Of 96’s Telugu Version
