FOUR MORE SHOTS PLEASE! SEASON 3 is the story of four best friends. Six months pass after the events of the second season. Damini Rizvi Roy (Sayani Gupta) is now working for a newspaper, covering civic issues. She's not fully satisfied but is nevertheless trying to do her job passionately. She's in a steady relationship with Jeh Wadia (Prateik Babbar) and is desperate that he moves in with her. Jeh, however, needs time. Meanwhile, Damini bumps into Dhananjay Deshpande (Rohan Mehra), a fourth-generation politician. Damini accuses him of entitlement and not knowing about the real India. Dhananjay, instead of getting offended, offers her to work with him and help him build a credible image among the youth. Umang (Bani J), after running away from her marriage with Samara Kapoor (Lisa Ray), is now trying to start her own fitness studio. Before that, she goes to her hometown Ludhiana, Punjab with her pals to make amends with her family. Her father refuses to accept her and her sexual orientation. She returns to Mumbai and is unable to get a loan to start her business. This is when Siddhi Patel (Maanvi Gagroo) offers to be her business partner. She invests in her project, which helps Umang to fulfil her dream. She hires Sean (Jim Sarbh), a hot yoga instructor, and they hit it off well. Umang also befriends Meher (Shilpa Shukla), who runs a bakery nearby. She is also a lesbian and both get attracted to each other. Siddhi doesn’t go to New York for her comedy course after her father Viju Patel (Fahad Samar) suddenly passes away. She decides to be in Mumbai with her mother Sneha Patel (Simone Singh). Both become each other's strength, more so after middle-aged men start hitting on Snena in order to take her to bed. Tensions build up between the daughter and mother when Sneha gets friendly with Rajan Malhotra (Sushant Singh), a widower for five years. Finally, Anjana Menon (Kirti Kulhari) is still working with Shashank Bose (Sameer Kochhar) and they are trying to maintain a distance. This leads to problems at work as clients insist that they jointly collaborate on their cases, like in the olden days. Her ex-husband Varun Khanna (Neil Bhoopalam) is on cloud nine as her wife Kavya (Amrita Puri) has given birth to a son, named Aarav. Anjana and Kavya are cordial with each other and they all even play Holi together. Unfortunately, Anjana and Varun's daughter Arya (Jiya Lakhiani) ends up telling Kavya that she had seen her parents kiss when Varun crashed at Anjana's place after getting drunk. Kavya is shocked and kicks Varun out of the house. What happens next forms the rest of the series.
Devika Bhagat's story is fine. On paper, the plot sounds interesting as it tries to take the journey of the four friends forward. But Devika Bhagat's screenplay fails to do justice. Several confrontations seem forced here while in the first two seasons, it was not the case. A few scenes, however, are well-written and thought of. Isihita Moitra's dialogues are well-worded, witty and naughty. The dark humour, however, should have come across in a better way, especially in Siddhi Patel’s stand-up scenes.
Joyeeta Patpatia's direction is average. To give credit where it's due, the show has many scenes that are touching, sweet and funny. One of the USPs of the series is how these four women are always there for each other, no matter what. The analysis they make about their situations often turn out to be important life lessons and this is something that viewers have loved about the show. This factor continues in Season 3 as well. A few scenes prove that the makers have worked hard, be it Siddhi’s prayer meeting speech (showing young Siddhi, in the beginning, is a great idea), the Punjab track involving Umang’s outburst in front of the family and roaming in Ludhiana, the drama at the Holi party, Varun avoiding the word ‘divorce’ in front of his daughter, Siddhi standing up for his mother and then crying together etc. In the Italy sequence, we see characters who had never interacted before teaming up and making some nice talk like Umang and Mihir, Anjana and Sneha, Varun and Jeh etc. The finale is clichéd but it helps the show end on a good note.
Sadly, FOUR MORE SHOTS PLEASE! SEASON 3 is not without its share of minuses. Despite the aforementioned factors, it is the weakest season so far. Seasons 1 and 2 had far more entertainment, and that’s lacking here. In fact, in places, it becomes too dark. The first two seasons showed the characters going to places like Goa, Udaipur, Istanbul etc. and it added to the impact. Here, the Italy sequence didn’t really give viewers the fun or drama they will be hoping for. Moreover, the lovemaking scenes, which are also the show’s attraction, are limited this time. A few problems and confrontations that crop up, between the characters, are unconvincing and seem to have been added just for the heck of it. This is especially in the case of Damini and Jeh. Umang’s bond with Meher or Sean also seemed half-baked. In some places, the makers have not done enough. For instance, viewers never come to know where Damini is working at the beginning of the season. Similarly, Dhananjay is shown to be a neta but we never see him being a part of a political party or attending party meetings. Lastly, the season is too lengthy. It consists of ten episodes and ideally, should have had 7 or 8 episodes at the most.
Speaking of performances, the four main girls yet again do well. Sayani Gupta’s actions in the show might seem bewildering but her acting will be loved. She proves yet again why she’s one of the best actors around. The same goes for Maanvi Gagroo. Her outbursts get on one’s nerves after a point but you still don’t hate her. There’s a very likeable quality about Siddhi and Maanvi brings it out beautifully with her acting. Kirti Kulhari is restrained, as per the requirement of her character, and is impressive. Bani J rocks the show yet again and shines in the emotional scenes. Prateik Babbar looks the most dashing ever in this series and is fine. Rohan Mehra leaves a mark. Lisa Ray has a cameo and seems forced. Jim Sarbh is adorable. Shilpa Shukla looks stunning and does a fine job. Simone Singh, Sushant Singh and Amrita Puri are very good in supporting roles. Neil Bhoopalam is fair in emotional scenes and raises laughs with his antics. Jiya Lakhiani is cute. Sameer Kochhar, Rajeev Siddhartha (Mihir Shah) and Prabal Panjabi (Amit Mishra; stand-up comedian) are passable in special appearances.
Bay Music House' music is upmarket and urban and in sync with the show’s mood. The same title song and video have been repeated in Season 3. But it’s well-shot and composed and hence, no one will complain. The track played in the Holi episode is foot-tapping.
Sanket Shah's cinematography is neat. Parichit Paralkar's production design is very rich and appealing. Aastha Sharma's fashion direction deserves special mention. The costumes are very glamorous and enhance the beauty of the protagonists. Arindam Subhra Ghatak's editing could have been sharper.
On the whole, FOUR MORE SHOTS PLEASE! SEASON 3 boasts of some fine performances and a few touching and funny sequences. But due to comparatively lesser entertainment quotient and long length, it emerges as the weakest season so far of the series. Despite the mixed response, it has chances of getting a huge viewership because of the insane popularity of the show, especially among womenfolk.
Rating – 2.5 stars
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