If you ever needed a reminder that dreams can sprout in the unlikeliest corners of the country, Manoj Bajpayee’s story is precisely that fable. Picture a young boy growing up in Belwa, a tiny village tucked
away in West Champaran, Bihar—a place where cinema existed only as a divine flicker on distant screens, and ambition was often a luxury. Yet here was a teenager who would spend afternoons imagining characters far removed from his own reality, waiting for the day he could step onto a stage, or if the universe was kind enough, a film set. His journey was not the cliched overnight struggle narrative. Far from it. He failed to get into the National School of Drama—three times. He worked backstage, taught himself the language of performance, and took every odd job that allowed him to hover around theatre. His first proper film credit came as a dacoit in Shekhar Kapur’s Bandit Queen, a blink-and-miss appearance that nevertheless stamped him as someone to watch. And yet, two decades later, here he is—Padma Shri awardee, National Award winner, the man who walked into Satya and single-handedly redefined the gangster film. And in 2025, he remains the face of one of India’s most beloved streaming characters: Srikant Tiwari, the forever-exhausted yet ferociously committed spy of The Family Man.
The Family Man 3: Release Date, Time, and Why the Country Is Buzzing
Yes, it’s official—the much-awaited third season is finally landing.
Release Date: Friday, 21 November 2025
Platform: Prime Video
Time: 12:00 AM IST Created by Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK, the new season brings back Priyamani, Sharib Hashmi, Ashlesha Thakur, and Vedant Sinha, with the delicious addition of powerhouse performer Jaideep Ahlawat. The trailer, released on 7 November 2025, promises a sharper, darker, more emotionally tangled narrative. The YouTube logline gives a neat summary: Srikant Tiwari, the seemingly average middle-class family man who secretly works with TASC, is yet again caught in a web where morality, parenthood, and national security collide in equal measure.
Fun fact: Manoj himself has said Srikant is one of his most demanding roles—not because of the action sequences, but because balancing “ordinary man energy” with high-intensity espionage is tougher than it seems.
Manoj Bajpayee: The Rise of a Reluctant Hero
Bajpayee’s CV reads like a crash course in modern Indian acting. Whether it was Bhiku Mhatre in Satya (a role that fetched him his first National Award), the spine-chilling intensity of Shool, the silent heartbreak of Aligarh, or the gritty brilliance of Gangs of Wasseypur, his performances rarely resemble one another. He won the Padma Shri in 2019, proving that you don’t need to play the typical Bollywood hero to become a national favourite. In 2024, his film The Fable even bagged the Best Film Award at the Leeds International Film Festival, adding another global feather to his cap.
A Peek into Manoj Bajpayee Personal Life: The Family Behind ‘The Family Man’
Manoj Bajpayee is married to actress Shabana Raza (known to many as Neha from Kareeb). A fiercely private couple, they prefer cosy dinners over glamourous parties, and their daughter’s school schedule over red carpets. Shabana is also the artistic brain behind the interiors of their Mumbai home, credited for its calm, earthy visual identity. Despite his fame, Manoj often says he still sees himself as a “boundary-line outsider” in Bollywood—someone who exists on the edge of stardom, and prefers it that way.
Life in the City: Inside Manoj Bajpayee’s Luxurious Mumbai Home
His current address: Oberoi Towers, Lokhandwala, Andheri Mumbai The apartment—valued at around Rs 10 crore—is tastefully designed by wife Shabana Raza, who sourced furniture, art, and decor from various corners of the world.
What’s Inside?
Polished wooden and stone-clad flooring Artistic pieces by Mauritian painters Baissac and Yves David A Chintan Upadhyay artwork that sits proudly against soft-toned walls A sleek modular kitchen with minimalist fittings A cosy temple A dedicated awards room filled with trophies accumulated over three decades And, of course, the famous den—a semicircular seating area with a projector and mini-theatre setup, perfect for film buffs
Fun fact: Manoj reportedly never watches his own performances in one go. He claims he gets “too critical”.
Manoj Bajpayee Other Real Estate Investments
Manoj is a quiet but smart investor. Over the years, he has built a strong property portfolio:
Manoj Bajpayee: Mumbai Properties
An apartment in Oberoi Springs, Andheri, purchased in 2021 for Rs 4 crore Four office units in the Signature Building, Oshiwara—purchased in 2023 for over Rs 31 crore A former apartment in the Minerva Residential Tower, which he sold in 2024 for Rs 9 crore (purchased for Rs 6.40 crore in 2013)
Manoj Bajpayee: Bihar Property
His ancestral house in Belwa, West Champaran—renovated in 2023, lovingly retaining its vintage charm while getting a fresh red-and-white exterior. During promotions for Gulmohar, he visited this home for the first time without his late mother—a deeply emotional moment for the actor.
Manoj Bajpayee: The Cars That Live in His Garage
While Bajpayee is grounded in most aspects of life, his garage suggests he has a soft spot for strong, indulgent machines.
Here’s what he owns: Mercedes-Benz GLS 400d 4MATIC – approx. Rs 1.27 crore Land Cruiser Prado – approx. Rs 1 crore BMW 5 Series – approx. Rs 55 lakh Toyota Fortuner Mahindra Scorpio
Fun fact: He loves driving on long night-time routes when Mumbai traffic thins out. It’s his “quiet time”.
Manoj Bajpayee Lifestyle: The Actor Who Skips Dinner
Manoj Bajpayee has famously not eaten dinner for over 14 years. His day ends with a light evening snack, usually something protein-rich. He exercises regularly, avoids late-night parties, and prefers reading scripts over attending social gatherings. He calls himself “upper middle class at heart”, which is perhaps why even with substantial wealth, he avoids the ostentatious lifestyle most actors embrace.
The Big Question: What Is Manoj Bajpayee’s Net Worth?
This has been the subject of much debate. Media reports estimate his net worth at around Rs 170 crore (approx. $20 million). But in a 2024 interview, Manoj almost fell off his chair when told the figure. His exact response: “Oh my God! By doing films like Aligarh and Gali Guleiyan? Absolutely not!” He clarified that while he is comfortable financially, he is nowhere close to “Ambani-level wealth”.
How He Earns
Film Fees: Approx. Rs 6 crore per film
Family Man Fee: Approx. Rs 10 crore for the series
Brand Endorsements: Rs 50–60 lakh per deal
Business Ventures: Invested in Muvizz (indie film OTT) and owns Manoj Bajpayee Productions Pvt. Ltd. In a sea of formulaic stardom, Manoj Bajpayee is a reminder that acting is still a craft, not a commodity. He embodies a rare combination: mainstream visibility and parallel cinema credibility. Few can switch from a vulnerable professor in Aligarh to a swaggering gangster in Satya to a middle-aged spy juggling school PTMs in The Family Man—and make each role look like it was written for them. With Season 3 arriving on 21 November 2025, fans are ready to see Srikant Tiwari back in action, snark intact, moral compass wobbly, and family issues forever unresolved.