Mumbai, Dec 18 (IANS) Actress and VJ Bani J, who plays Umang in 'Four More Shots Please', has spoken about how her character has helped many people open up about their sexual preferences.

In an exclusive conversation with IANS, she also revealed that she often gets messages filled with gratitude from people.

When asked her about the response she has received over the years for her strong character, Bani stated, “Ever since I started essaying my role as Umang in the show, since season 1, my inbox has been flooded with messages and rainbow emoticons, and people have been coming out every single day, from across cultures and walks of life.”

She further revealed, “There were so many questions initially, with people asking, ‘Oh my God, how do I do this?’ But then they saw the character of Umang and how she came out, especially because there is a clear ‘coming-out scene’ in the show.”

She added, “The coming-out scene of Umang, along with the portrayal of a same-sex wedding that culminates in the series, played a significant role in helping audiences.”

"It offered people a platform to see something like this being represented on screen, something that had rarely been shown before. The depiction allowed viewers to envision their own experiences and realise that these are situations many people are genuinely going through,” she said.

Bani further elaborated, “Seeing such representation made it easier for audiences to relate and initiate conversations. The more one sees it, the more it becomes normalised. Over time, it helps people feel more comfortable, but normalization is the first step.”

Talking about Bani, the actress is all geared up for the fourth and final season of her hit series Four More Shots Please! The show is all set to hit screens on the 19th of December.

The series, along with Bani, also stars Kriti Kulhari, Maanvi Gagroo, Sayani Gupta, Prateik Smita Patil, and Dino Morea.

–IANS

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