Four More Shots Please Season 2 - Breaking down and Growing up with all the sass intact !

ASHOK’s FIVE reasons to watch “Four More Shots Please” Season 2 now streaming on Amazon Prime. This new season comes four months after Season 1 ended leaving the audience asking questions as to whether Damini would get together with Jeh, the Anjana-Arjun affair would lead anywhere, was the Umang – Samara story worth tracking and what would happen to Siddhi after she rejected Mihir. Season 2 starts with Siddhi and interestingly enough ends with Siddhi signifying a certain shit in focus that seems to go down well with audiences. More importantly, if Season 1 was about carefree laughter, girly chatter and an ‘I don’t give a damn’ attitude, Season 2 is about growing up, becoming mature and grappling with life and choices while retaining the sass and the sauce. The four divas played with swag by Kirti Kulhari, Maanvi Gagroo, Sayani Gupta and Bani J are back and sexier than ever!

1.       Watch “Four More Shots Please” for the novelty of a true-blue chick lit that deals with a phenomenal list of women’s issues in a matter-of-fact manner without passing judgement – open marriage, misogyny, body positivity, anti-nationalism, lesbianism, glass ceiling, unexpected pregnancy, career aspirations, casual hook-ups and serious single parenting. Season 2 is directed by Nupur Asthana, taking over from Anu Menon and the highlight is clearly the seamless transition to explore the depths of each character and establish the multi-dimensional shades through isolated incidents and experiences while the four women retain their friendship and zest for life. Growing up is all about life beyond the black and the white, true and false, right and wrong and actually embracing the big grey and engage with it every day and make friends with it!

2.       “Four more…” stands out as a beautiful show with gorgeous outfits, stunning jewellery, hip bodies, picturesque locations and glamorous stars backed up by a tight screenplay and lilting BGM that is perfect. Acting as the perfect foil to the women are Milind Soman, Pratiek Babbar, Neil Bhoopalam and now joining them are Samir Kochar and Prabal Panjabi. Samir is an underrated talent and ushers in both style and character with his trademark baritone, but the character denigrates into a meaningless opportunist and thus disappoints.

3.       Season 2 puts out quite a few thought-provoking themes that add gravitas to the fun and frolic but do not subtract from the vivacious enthusiasm of the girls. Take for example the scene where Anjana is grappling with the issues of introducing a younger man who she dating to her daughter Arya. Or the marriage scene where Anjana officiates over the vows “Marriage requires work, attention and most of all love. Don’t take it for granted”. Umang tells Samara that the three-prong formula for a successful marriage is equality, respect and love. Behind all the laughter and the passion, these are real scenarios and dealt with by our protagonists with élan and grace.

4.       The Truck Bar is leveraged wonderfully as the emotional pit-stop for all the major twists and turns that the girls go through. It is the quintessential melting pot for all problems to be tabled, churned around and dispensed with. Added to that is the dark and brooding good looks of Pratiek Babbar as he dished out more than four more shots! The rocking jive-able music score lifts your spirits up even as the women keep going down but not out and then bouncing right back in their journey of self-discovery, extra marital affairs, career planning and financial priorities.

5.       Season 2 stands out as a seamless transition to discovering life and love, finding closure, self-esteem and essential truths. As the girls discover “The idea of flawless beauty is so fu…..  up”. Or when Damini confronts the dilemma of idealism versus social mores and petty politics as she attempts to promote her book. What the show needs to avoid perhaps is the long drawn out marriage scenes with its attendant drama and hyperbole. Lisa Ray looks jaded and out of sorts and the scenes with her tend to drag and look weary. There are some very real portrayals of the male psyche as well in as much as how Pratiek as Jeh and Milind as Warsi both seek the attention of Damini for very different reasons and can both go miles to show their commitment. In the end Damini is left asking for time to reconcile with the events and clear up her mind. The other milestone event is when Anjana gives in and admits her fault to Sushmita when she realises that she has been tricked. Only a woman can stand up for a woman who has been wronged. The detailing of how women cope with issues differently is the other hallmark of the show – Jeh takes time off to deal with the situation and make up his mind and remains resolute as he figures out his mind; meanwhile Damini is already a wreck and needs a lot of support to be up and about!

Four More Shots signs off Season 2 at a precarious point leaving the audience yearning for more and yet yearning for less change. The four women are cast in signature roles that can transform their lives and leave a lasting impact. The show will need to retain the bubby nature of the women, their goofy selves and their camaraderie while moving into serious decisions that can either revitalise or destroy the core of the show. The season ends with each of the women in turmoil and will now move into a sphere of choices that will test their very fibre. Till then let’s just say it was wonderful having them around once again and yes four more shots to that!