Sayani says Four More Shots’ biggest win is its celebration of female friendship, rarely seen in Indian offerings
Sayani Gupta
Over four years and three seasons, Sayani Gupta and Four More Shots Please have grown together. Today, she is happy with the distinction that the series has carved for itself. “This is one of those shows about which everyone has an opinion — be it good, bad, or ugly,” says Gupta, who plays journalist Damini in the series.
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A still from the series
For her, however, the comedy-drama’s biggest win remains the on-screen celebration of female friendship. Also starring Kirti Kulhari, Maanvi Gagroo and Bani J, the series showcases the journey of four friends as they navigate love, loss and challenges, having each other’s back all the while. “Female friendship is not so commonly seen on screen [in India]. Women like us — who are flawed, and exercise their choices in life — are rarely represented. The fact that we were one of the first to show it on screen, feels good,” she beams.
The female buddy series, reportedly among the most-watched Indian shows on Amazon Prime Video, has received love and criticism in equal measure. If the series was nominated at the 2020 International Emmy Awards, it also got flak from a section of the audience unaccustomed to seeing independent women living life by their own rules. The actor says, “In season one, we were initially grappling with what was happening; there was a lot of love as well as hate. It made us realise some important things about our society. Now, [before every season], we know [the backlash] coming our way, but the love that this show has received is unthinkable.”