Gearing up to set new standards

After carving out niche for herself as a TV presenter and movie actor, Shibani Dandekar is all set to make her debut on OTT platform with Amazon Prime's 'Four More Shots Please season 2'. In a conversation with Millennium Post, Shibani shares about the much-awaited show 'Four More Shots Please', her favourite web series and much more…

Season 1 of the show (Four More Shots Please) gained a lot of appreciation from viewers. Does it mount any pressure on you?

When you are working with a great formula and you have had a successful season, then anyone who comes in season 2 has a certain amount of pressure to keep the ball rolling and keep the show at specific level and any kind of characters that are added in need to hold their ground and also just add value of some sort.

Besides this, I don't think there is pressure as such because there is a great team working behind to ensure that everything is happening smoothly and you are progressing and doing a better job than what you did in season 1.

What do you think is the reason behind this wave of 'web' as all the known actors are going forward in that direction?

OTT platforms give an opportunity to come crawling out of the wood box because we are not anymore waiting for that 'next Bollywood project' to happen. It's about being able to really sink in your teeth into characters that have substance and not only hold into doing that one specific thing.

Whereas maybe in Bollywood, I would be an NRI friend but I feel that in the web space, there is more of an opportunity in terms of how people would see me and cast me and that is really what is important for any actor or artist or anyone who is trying to do different things.

You want to be able to try different characters and be given different opportunities in terms of the kind of content the web space has. You are seeing stories come out from the most remote as well as urban parts of the country. There are so many different stories to tell and so many different actors and characters that are ready and willing to play them. So why not?

Which is your favorite international series?

At the moment, I think 'Fauda' is probably my favorite but I like 'Ozark' as well.

Since you have been involved in hosting shows in India and outside, how much do you think hosting has evolved over the years?

I think the nature and the kind of shows that one can host have changed with so many platforms opening up and with so many different shows being created.

I think there are more opportunities out there in terms of what one can do and whether it's on a smaller or a larger scale. Besides that, the space for hosting is expanding as well for many people.

For instance, you just don't necessarily see TV presenters presenting shows anymore but also other celebrities from different profession taking on shows and presenting them.

So with the way the technology is changing and with the way people are consuming content, it has definitely become an ever-changing space.

What kind of basic difference do you come across while you are hosting in India and on any international platform?

I host in English either way so it's not that different. When you are hosting in the same language, it's really about the kind of show you are hosting. So if I am hosting a photography reality show or a singing reality show or if I am hosting something that is related to fashion, I think the approach and style can be different.

When I am hosting something like an IPL, the energy is different because it is based so much on the atmosphere. So the topic varies and the energy and the style vary according to what it is that you are hosting.

For me it is always in the same language so that doesn't change. I also think as an anchor you are never playing a character, you are playing yourself. So there won't be that much of a variation, it will just depend on the surroundings.

What comes more naturally to you – acting or hosting? How?

When you are an anchor you are playing yourself so you don't really move off centre. You are always in the same zone because inherently you are just being yourself.

But when you are acting, you have to get into the skin of the character and that is always different depending on the job. So it varies and there is a huge difference between the two. One is more challenging than the other in different ways.

On one hand, when you are hosting the challenges you face could be the topic you are hosting about, whether you have a grasp on it or not and on the other hand, when it comes to acting, it is about how easy or difficult that character is for you, your knowledge about it or it could be something that you are comfortable with.