No More Shots Please!
With the proclivity of the mainstream Indian film industry to sweep things under the rug, Four More Shots Please! emerges as a brazen series that pivots around two stigmatized words: alcohol and sex.
Let’s make that three stigmatized words: women, alcohol and sex.
On a positive note, digital media avenues have pulled their socks up and segued into a more realistic and relatable genre by tapping into topics like gender prejudices. Having said that, they may have gone a little too far with unrealistic settings and lifestyles, thus, defeating the entire purpose of creating content for the Indian audience.
FMSP is labelled as a feminist show that narrates and celebrates women with real-life problems. But it misses the bull’s eye with a huge demarcation by failing to talk about the rooted, internalized misogyny that runs deep in our culture.
Here is how.
She Can Either Handle Her Job or Her Men. Not Both.
Unabashed, career-driven, and a thriving investigative journalist, Damini’s obstinately moralistic demeanour to run her website that deals with serious expose prove inspirational. But her sense of control and reasoning seems to go out the window the moment it comes to her love life. How clichéd? This scenario, unfortunately, fails to break the long-drawn stigma that women cannot be good at career and handle a relationship at the same time. Moreover, a challenging work-life of a journalist simply does not go well with running around in a pricey pair of stilettos and ensembles emerged straight from the pages of Vogue. Does journalism truly pay you THAT much?
Sex and the Single Mom
A single mother in the making, Anjana, seamlessly balances her career-life and a child at home. What’s off-putting about her character is the overshadowing of real-life struggles of a single parent. In a realistic scenario, being a single mom in Indian society has struggles written all over it. From dealing with financial strains, social isolations, and unsurmountable fatigue, to be a single mother is no child’s play. Anjana, however, has it all ironed out. What I fail to comprehend is how her motherly instincts allow her to make time for work and social life rather than tending to her 10-year-old daughter. The only “struggle” Anjana deals with are pangs of jealousy that rise when she sees her ex-husband settled with another woman. To overcome this jealousy, she chooses to bed her intern. AN INTERN! (Hello human resources, is that you?)
It’s the 21st Century but We Rather Stay in The Closet
What is truly laud-worthy about this series is the portrayal of two gay women and their struggles of coming out of the closet. But what’s equally devastating is that they fail to show the real struggles of a queer character. All dialogues across the episodes have mounted to portray only one problem: a bisexual woman whose sexuality is the cause of her troubles. While it is a bold approach, are we not reversing 100 years by portraying a gay love story akin to Romeo and Juliet? Do the characters not deserve a much deeper and realistic rendering of being a queer woman in the 21st century?
No True Friends
An archetype So-Bo kid who’s had everything handed to her on a silver platter, Siddhi, has only two issues we can elicit: her impeding career and body shaming issues. From being subjected to an overbearing mother whose only agenda in life is to get her daughter married, and incessantly body-shame her, Siddhi’s self-esteem has taken a downward spiral. To overcome this lasting trauma, she signs up for a sex site to overcome her anxiety. (What?) While this may sound partially possible, my point being, where were her friends all along? When they got together at the Truck Bar to “discuss” their issues, at no point, did any of her friends jump in to boost her morale and recommend a saner act… like seeking therapy perhaps? Further, a clichéd portrayal of a rich kid who does not possess skills of any calibre, the only viable career options for her are either baking or stand-up comedy. Siddhi’s career launch was a force-fit where her savage comebacks came to life only in the second season. All-in-all, it was a gamut of the confusions of a virgin alcoholic.
Will the Real FMSP Please Stand Up
An elitist storyline that revolves around sex and alcohol, Four More Shots Please! occasionally teases underlying issues of patriarchy and misogyny. The unrealistic settings of living in the most lavish houses and locations irrespective of advancing a career in either journalism or fitness training are a bit too far-fetched. The only honest house setting was where the stand-up comedian guy lived- a typical 2 BHK Mumbai flat shared with his roommate.
One thing done perfectly in this series is costume designing. And the sole sane character is Jay, the bartender. Which brings me to my point, are women the only sapiens who are messed up? Because men seem to have it all together in this series, thereby, failing to address the original agenda of a women-centric plotline.
On that note, bartender, please shut the bar!
