Hyderabad, for Sayani Gupta, is remembered not through repeat visits or curated events, but through one deeply immersive experience. As CE sits down for an exclusive conversation, she pauses to revisit a memory from the city that still lingers with her.
In 2016, the actor spent nearly two weeks shooting across real locations in the city for the short film Leeches. Dressed in a burqa for 14 days, Sayani filmed guerrilla-style, moving through Charminar and other crowded bylanes. “It was a very intense film, but we had a great time shooting it,” she recalls. While the city left a strong impression, she admits navigating it was an adventure in itself. “The food is good. The only problem is the addresses — they’re bizarre. There’s a completely different science to finding locations in Hyderabad. (giggles) But overall, it’s a nice city and I would love to be back here,” she warmly shares.
Nearly a decade later, Sayani finds herself in a very different phase of her career, and with the latest season of Four More Shots Please! continuing to trend across social media. The show’s lasting appeal, she notes, lies in its honesty and accessibility. She expresses, “There is such a dearth of shows or films that show women as they are. Women in complete glory — real, flawed, interesting, funny women.” She believes the show’s binge-worthy quality plays a major role.
Her character, Damini Rizvi Roy, has become one of the most relatable figures on the show. While she says Damini reflects little of her personal life, she connected strongly with certain qualities: “What spoke to me was her politics and the fact that she calls a spade a spade. She’s unflinchingly unapologetic. She doesn’t bat an eyelid when it comes to telling the truth the way it needs to be told.” Another aspect she relates to deeply is Damini’s loyalty to friendship. She shares, “She never takes her friendships for granted. Even I’m very close to my girlfriends, and that friendship — no matter what is happening — is always at the centre.”
Revisiting Damini each season, she says, has never felt challenging. The real challenge, she jokes, lies elsewhere — the costumes. “The clothes they give me are insane,” she laughs, recalling a metal dress she wore in Goa, and adds, “The biggest challenge on the set of Four More Shots Please! is figuring out where to hide the mic transmitter in these non-existent outfits. Over the years, I’ve really become skilled at hiding mics in skimpy clothes.” (laughs)
Preparation, she highlights, has evolved. Initially, she admits to over-preparing, especially in the first season. “I had really prepped because she has OCD,” she says, until director Anu Menon advised her otherwise. She further adds, “She told me not to prep so much — that I seemed to have more fun when I didn’t.” Today, the preparation is instinctive, she notes, “When you’ve played a character for eight years, it becomes your second skin.”
Addressing the perception that she is drawn to morally grey characters, she is quick to clarify. “I’m not drawn to morally grey characters but interesting characters,” she says. With the exception of projects like Delhi Crime and Po Shampa, she notes that most of her roles aren’t morally ambiguous at all.
Speaking of Delhi Crime season 3, she describes it as a heavy show with a very different process. “There’s a lot of research, and it’s a different audience altogether,” she says, adding that despite being part of the show, she hasn’t watched it yet. “I haven’t had the time, and I don’t really want to watch anything serious right now,” she says. Interestingly, she says heavy subjects often result in lighter sets, as she continues, “Comedy sets are actually more intense. With heavy drama, there’s a lightness — otherwise you can’t function.” She credits director Tanuj Chopra for creating a warm, enabling environment.
When it comes to choosing roles, she says there is no conscious attempt to break stereotypes. “I do roles that make sense to me,” she says, adding that she says no to most offers. “I’m very choosy. There’s no criteria — it’s my intuition. I either want to do something immediately, or I don’t,” she adds.
Looking ahead, Sayani is excited about what’s next. She says she’s keen to do more action-driven roles that require physical training. “We did some action in Delhi Crime, but a lot of it got cut,” she notes. At the same time, she hopes to explore softer narratives. “I’d love to do a gentle romantic film,” she says.
As for stepping into production, she confirms she’s already begun. “I’m already doing it. We’ll talk about it when it’s the right time,” she concludes.