Exclusive: Shibani Dandekar gets candid about relationship and open marriage

Talented personality Shibani Dandekar is a successful model, actor, singer, ancho. The actress recently made her digital debut in Four More Shots Please! Season 2 on Amazon Prime Video. Her role was short yet noticeable. Despite having a few scenes with Kirit Kulkhari, the audience wanted to see more of her. Known to wear many hats, she is now turning into a producer. 

In an exclusive chat with International Business Times India, Shibani Dandekar spills the beans on making her digital debut in Four More Shots Please season 2, how her role will shape up in Season 3, her views on open marriage and what is keeping her occupied during the lockdown.

Excerpts from the conversation:

 We loved your performance in Four More Shots Please season 2, how did you get on board for the show?

I called Rangita Nandy who is the Producer of the show and told her that I would like to do something on Four More Shots Please. She said that there were a few parts in season 2 and she suggested one in particular. She told me to read with Shubham and Trishaan from the casting team who were absolutely incredible. Later she told me to read with Nupur Asthana who is the Director and it all really took off from there. It was a great role and these people involved were super supportive and really understood what I wanted to do and what was required of the character and we worked together to make it happen.

Did you follow the previous season Four More Shots Please season 1?

I had watched Season 1 and that was the reason why I had called Rangita because I thought it was a show that reminded me of my days in New York. I used to watch shows like 'Sex and the City' that follow the lives of women in a particular city and the relationships they go through not just with men but with each other. I think that it is an important subject and a great one to touch upon. I wanted to be a part of it in some way, so yes I had seen season 1 and I know all of the girls, I think that they are fabulous, so it was a great team to be a part of.

 We saw very little of you in season 2, will we get to see more of you in season 3?

Yes, I am actually there for just a few episodes, but it was always the way the part was supposed to be, it was supposed to be more about the impact that Sushmita has even if it is just in 3 or 4 scenes. It was never supposed to be something that was massive. I would absolutely love to be a part of Season 3 but I guess it's just about whether her story fits into the scheme of things and whether she has a part to play in the lives of Anjana and Shashank post Season 2. It is really up to the writers and the producers of the show but I would jump at the chance.

In the show your husband is talking about an open marriage, do you believe in an open marriage?

Yes, the storyline is based on open marriages and they obviously exist in society. I believe that as we get older, time passes it becomes more complex and I think that everyone just needs to come up with their own formula of what works for them. So whether it's an open marriage or a monogamous situation; whether you live in the same house or different countries; whether you live in the same house and stay in separate rooms you have to find out what really works for you. I know people who have open marriages that make it work and actually help their relationship. I am absolutely open to whatever works for you and your life so no judgement on that but I definitely think that these days you have to come up with a plan that works for you and your relationship.

There are men in society who lie about their marital status just to woo a woman, do you agree or have you come across anyone like this?

I am sure that there are men who lie about their marital status just to woo women but I am sure that there are women who do it too to attract men. I don't think that this is about gender; it is more about this situation just happening in life. It's not the first time that it has happened it won't be the last. I think it's a part of human nature and something that exists and we just have to deal with it.  It is not gender-specific and I think that it is important to point out, maybe in the case of Sushmita and Shashank it was that way but we also don't know what Sushmita was doing so it's important to know that this can just happen to people in relationships.

Talking about Four More Shots Please Season 2 it's bolder, sassier and more savage than the previous one, people said it's our Sex and the City and needless to say it's a very popular show? Will the next season be as bold as sassy and as savage as this one is? 

I hope I get to be in Season 3 as well and I hope you get to see more of Sushmita. It is definitely a bolder, sassier and more savage season (Season 2) and that's what makes it so incredible, you see the growth not just in characters but in the direction of the show. I believe that everyone has done such a fabulous show and I know that it is an extremely popular show especially amongst a certain crowd who just waits for it to drop. I think the idea for the show to keep growing and delivering in this way is important. I don't think it's just about trying to like grab eyeballs by doing specific things; it's just more about the substance and the depth of the show. The way that they show these women grow in terms of their relationships not just with each other but with men and as a person as well. The people that watch might relate to a specific character and that is important. I know that with a show like 'Sex and the City' you are able to do that and I think it's the same with Four More Shots Please. The fact that you can identify with one of these women is amazing. As the seasons grow it will become bolder and sassier because you will be seeing the growth of these characters and how they grab hold of their life and run with it which is fabulous. The men that come in, in terms of secondary casts, the part that they play and the value that they add to the character's lives is also important because that was something that excited us in terms of what we could do to be a part of the show just to be there and add values to these characters lives and I think that's what made it so exciting.

 How are your lockdown days shaping up?

The lockdown has been quite a strange time, definitely a time for us to reflect and think about what is important and try to help those that are less fortunate. It has been so much time now that I don't even remember what was the regular life outside the house, but what we all can do right now is follow the rules and try to keep our minds occupied and try to stay as active as possible and just use this time to reset, reboot and maybe think about others and think about what's important, try to help each other get through this. I believe that is the best that we can do right now.

 What are you doing these days, anything new that you have discovered?

I am currently in the process of producing a web show with my partners Akanksha Seda and Gaurav Kapur. I am in the writer's room at the moment and we are using this time to meet on Zoom chats and write the Bible for the show which is very different for me, a completely new experience, something I have never done before and has managed to keep me quite occupied. I am also learning to play the piano again and singing as well so those two things have made me happy and kept me going and have also managed to take up quite a bit of time which is nice.