Over two seasons of The Family Man, Manoj Bajpayee has portrayed his role of Srikant Tiwari with such honesty that it’s impossible to imagine anyone else in his place. But as he began filming the spy thriller’s third edition earlier this month, the actor admits that reprising his role didn’t come easy. “This time, there was a very long gap [between the two seasons]. It took me three days to remind myself who Srikant is,” says the actor.

Srikant, the unassuming undercover agent juggling family life and national security, is the backbone of the series that also stars Priyamani and Sharib Hashmi. While a significant portion of the upcoming instalment is said to be set in the north-east, creator-director duo Raj-DK kicked off the shoot in Mumbai. Though initially nervous, Bajpayee says he reconnected with the character after spending a few days with the creators and his co-stars.