Maanvi Gagroo on Siddhi Patel from Four More Shots Please: Wanted narrative to be fun

Maanvi Gagroo

The process of self-discovery that Maanvi Gagroo's character Siddhi Patel undergoes in the latest season of Four More Shots Please 2, formed for a major chunk of the show. Deftly portrayed by Gagroo, the role saw her character come into her own and accept her flaws. "When the script came to me, I was amazed by the writing. Siddhi's sexual awakening is a large part of the series. Female sexuality is written in broad strokes. Woman have, so far, been portrayed as either virgins or sluts. She is either goody-two-shoes or a vamp. So, normalising stories [of regular women] is imperative," says the actor, who has been nominated in the mid-day and Radio City Hitlist OTT Awards in the Best Supporting Actor - Series category.

Gagroo credits films like Thappad and Pink for having showcased women's concerns accurately. "Women's stories must be allowed to shine and fall with dignity. I know women have found our show heartening. They find the abandonment with which these girls live their lives inspiring."

The show has managed to appeal to women across age groups, and of different cities. Ask her how the makers managed to address a pan-Indian audience and she says, "The writing makes it palatable for everyone across socio-economic classes. We are responsible to bring authentic stories to the screen. Creating the show the way we have requires deft. People have been comparing it to Sex and the City, and that is the biggest compliment. That was our Holy Grail. When SATC released, it was given a late-night slot. The women watched it in secrecy and it only caught on after the second season."

The third season goes on floors soon, and Gagroo says she is excited and nervous in equal measure. "The camaraderie that the actors share is organic. We don't want to be preachy. We want the narrative to remain light and fun, even as it touches on important subjects."

Best Supporting Actor - Series (Female)

Maanvi Gagroo has been nominated in the Best Supporting Actor (Female): Series category for Four More Shots Please. The other nominees are:

. Anupriya Goenka: Criminal Justice: Behind Closed Doors (Disney + Hotstar)
. Neena Gupta: Masaba Masaba (Netflix)
. Rasika Dugal: Mirzapur 2 (Amazon Prime Video)
. Sheeba Chaddha: Bandish Bandits (Amazon Prime)
. Tabu: A Suitable Boy (Netflix)

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