With her show Four Years Later, Shahana Goswami talks about why marriage needs to reflect who we are, not who we were taught to be. The show, originally Australian, shows the problems of migration and long-distance marriages
Shahana Goswami as Sridevi
Her usual choice of projects often veers toward depicting reality. Rarely do we see Shahana Goswami in romantic dramas — that is, until she is offered Four Years Later, an SBS show originally made for an Australian audience and now streaming around the globe. The Lionsgate Play series revolves around newlyweds Sridevi (Goswami) and Yash (played by Akshay Ajit Singh), who are forced to spend four years apart when he moves to Australia for medical training. They finally reunite in Sydney but must come to terms with life after living apart. The show explores migration through various lenses. In conversation with mid-day, the actor talks about long-distance relationships, the concept of marriage, and why the show will resonate with everyone.
Excerpts from the interview.
Do you think long-distance relationships/marriages work?
I don’t have black and white ideas of things. As I have grown older, I have realised that everything is circumstantial, people- and situation-specific. Is a long-distance relationship a difficult situation, with respect to practicality and emotions? Yes, but people have done it. I think it depends on where one is in their life, what connects two people, and what they are seeking from each other. If the relationship is healthy, sometimes maintaining it in long distances is fairly easier compared to when there are already cracks in the equation.
A lot of people are opting to stay single these days. Do you think marriage as a concept is a way of society’s conditioning?
I don’t disbelieve in the concept of marriage. I think any relationship is what you make it out to be. I do believe that people are conditioned [to feel] that they have to get married, which plays out in many ways. One is that there is a societal expectation, then there is age-related conditioning, or on wanting to have a family. Sometimes, people want to get married because they covet someone or out of fear of losing someone. I have seen all kinds of marriages over time — from open marriages, couples married but leading individual lives, to marriages with multiple partners. The important thing is to [find the answer] to why one wishes to get married. I believe if one is to marry, they should base [the relationship] on honesty and communication. We haven’t upgraded our idea of marriage. When it came, it was a social construct that was practical, based in the division of roles, and continuing a legacy. Then came the romanticisation of marriages. Now, we are living in a time when our real relationship is with ourselves. Therefore, we have to adapt, adjust, and upgrade our notion of a relationship.
What was your reaction when the show was offered to you?
I found it refreshingly real and relatable, especially the arguments and discussions between the couple. [I liked the] language, their dynamics, and that it explored arranged marriage from a more open lens. [I like] the character of Sridevi, who is independent, outgoing and is on the apps, dating for herself. Since that didn’t bring her any great success, she is open to the idea of an arranged marriage. Through that she does find love. This show is universal in its theme and so it is travelling across the board. Sridevi has a lot of similarities with my own personality. I feel like I don’t get to show that side of myself on screen because I have ended up playing more serious and hard-hitting characters.
Why was an Indian cast chosen to tell this story to the international audience?
Right now, people are choosing to be diverse in their storytelling. We live in a world where there is a high number of diaspora living outside of India. Their reality is that of a mixed culture. Mithila Gupta [creator and producer] was born in Jaipur, and at the age of four, moved to Australia with her parents. She came up with the idea and wrote something that was deeply rooted in India.
Are the issues of migration depicted accurately?
It is incredibly accurate because it shows the experience of migration for two characters in different ways. There is also a character of Indian-origin but born and brought up in Australia, so that is a different reality. Yash’s character is shown struggling because he is introverted, connected to his family, and finds it hard to socialise and make friends. He isn’t sure what he really wants to do or is just trying to live up to family pressures. Similarly, for Sridevi, who has always felt a bit caged and restricted in her own society, moving to Sydney gives her a sense of freedom. It is beautifully balanced and real to the personalities.
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