The Family Man is, undoubtedly, one of the biggest smash hits in Indian OTT. The Amazon Prime Video original series has delivered two successful instalments with fans impatiently waiting for Season 3. Starring Manoj Bajpayee as Srikant Tiwari, the espionage action thriller series follows a middle-class man, who is covertly working for the National Investigation Agency as a TASC (Threat Analysis and Surveillance Cell) intelligence officer. While one can’t imagine anyone else playing Srikant Tiwari, did you know Manoj wasn’t the first choice for The Family Man?
Meet the actor who was Raj & DK’s first choice to play Srikant Tiwari in The Family Man
Chiranjeevi — one of the richest South Indian actors with a colossal net worth of Rs 1650 crore, according to DNA India — was the first choice to play Srikant Tiwari in The Family Man. According to Times of India and News18, Raj & DK first envisioned The Family Man as a big-budget Telugu film with the legendary actor headlining the movie.
Famed producer C. Aswani Dutt made this startling revelation in an interview where he claimed The Family Man was going to be released as a movie with a massive production budget under Vyjayanthi Movies. Srikant’s relationship with his children is an integral story arc in The Family Man, however, Raj & DK reportedly were willing to omit Srikant’s kids from the storyline and tailor the script to accommodate Chirajeevi’s preference.
According to the Times of India, the Waltair Veerayya actor had reservations about his fans’ perception of him in a role that required him to play a father of two. Chiranjeevi was reportedly offered The Family Man around the time of Khaidi No. 150’s blockbuster box office success. Dutt further claimed that he had already begun the pre-production for The Family Man and completed the auditions for Srikant’s son’s role. However, Chiranjeevi declined the project and the film never materialised.
Eventually, Raj & DK transformed The Family Man into a web series with Manoj Bajpayee playing the role of Srikant Tiwari. The popular show eventually went on to become the most-viewed web series on Amazon Prime Video, making Bajpayee one of the highest-paid OTT stars in India.
Meanwhile, The Family Man 3 doesn’t have a confirmed release date, but reports are suggesting a 2025 release with Manoj Bajpayee back as Srikant Tiwari.
