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TV streaming services have ushered in a new age of global television. Viewers watch ad-free TV shows, pause when they need to and pick up where they left off. This system begs the creation of sharp, stylised content to appeal to a fast-paced lifestyle. Last year I reviewed Netflix’s cutting edge “Sacred Games” (review here). My first binge-watch this year has been Amazon Prime’s “Four More Shots Please”. Read on to know if the show is worth watching:
THE PLOT:
Four unattached young women form an unlikely friendship after meeting in a bar in Mumbai. Each of them is in a different phase of life- ambitious single mother (Kirti Kulhari), OCD career-woman (Sayani Gupta), poor little rich girl (Manvi Gagroo), and runaway personal trainer (VJ Bani). They connect over their life’s sorrows and lots of booze, when the owner of ‘Truck Bar’ (Prateik Babbar), locks them in the backyard for being a nuisance.
Interesting characters like the ex-husband (Neil Bhoopalam), his girlfriend (Amrita Puri), the hot gynaecologist (Milind Soman), the sexy Bollywood star (Lisa Ray), and the snarky controlling mother (Simone Singh); add flavour to the girls’ lives and stories.
THE COMMENTARY:
The trailers of the show didn’t leave much to the imagination. The viewer knows what to expect from the word go- lots of sex, tons of booze, and a bucket load of female insecurities. The story isn’t groundbreaking, and neither is its handling, but that doesn’t stop it from being an enjoyable and entertaining show.
I appreciate the inherent ‘desi-ness’ of each character, such as the importance given to our families, and the peculiarities of breaking Indian glass ceilings. I also like the portrayal of extreme contradictions that exist in urban Indian settings. The show accurately captures Indian millennials coming to terms with a globalised world, while mired in their traditional roots.
Each actor, including the supporting cast, looks fabulous. Their acting skills are adequate and in some cases rather good. The background score and costumes are excellent, both helping to create the right atmosphere. The editing is crisp, cinematography colourful and bold, and captures life in Mumbai well.
The only real problem lies in the storyline. It tends to be overdramatic and harps on many silly stereotypes. The plot takes too long to build, and the denoument is rushed through in the final episode. Some situations are completely incongruous and seem to be included purely for shock value. These negative points aren’t deal-breaking though.
I can’t help but compare it to other features on female friendships. This show captures the essence of women’s bonds quite well, unlike last year’s “Veere Di Wedding” (review here). However, its excessive dramatisation makes it fall short of my all-time favourite TV show of this genre, “Sex and the City”.
THE VERDICT:
Anu Menon’s “Four More Shots Please”, isn’t award-worthy, but it’s a light-hearted, entertaining, weekend binge-worthy TV show. I recommend it as worth watching. Keep in mind that you may not enjoy it if you’re easily scandalised, or prefer to watch only high-brow content.
TV Show rating: 3.5/5
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I’ve been hearing some brilliant reviews about this show, I’m personally a Bani J fan too, your review tells me I should definitely binge-watch it over the weekend.
Yesterday only i saw a glimpse of this show on youtube and loving it already.. Will definitely gonna watch it.. You have described it really beautifully.
Sacred Games was one of the few series that I have watched and it has of course set high expectations. Four More shots please, does sound interesting and of a different genre, will check it out.
it is exciting to see more shows coming up on female bonding and friendship., but they cant be always about sorrows or bonding over booze. I too feel our cinema will take time to reach SATC level, but still would be a better watch than silly saas bahu or family sagas.
Actually when I looked at the poster, I already liked the show even without watching. Such girl tales are generally quite fresh and have their own flavor to it. Also the starcast looks not bad.
I haven’t watched it yet but it sure looks intriguing. Especially the Veere Di Wedding kind of feels it gives. Thanks for the detailed review that makes us decide whether to watch or skip.
I love Bani J… I was planning to watch this show… The title looked interesting! After reading this review, I know what to expect from the show! 😀
I have finished watching it. Good show with an updated concept. Ideal selection of star cast. Good performance but average implementation. Also ending should have been better. But overall worth a watch.
I have heard a lot about this show lately and would love to watch it. I am a fan of shows on Amazon prime. This one looks interesting too.