Four Years Later, SBS review: compulsive viewing

Often the big strength of telling a love story is that audiences are already familiar with how the story goes. You don’t have to spend time spelling everything out; you can skip the obvious and focus on other things.

Initially Four Years Later seems more interested in the culture clash angle of its tale of a newly married Indian couple together again in Australia after years apart. But looks can be deceiving; this is a sharply insightful look at the nuances of love, relationships, and the way everything else in life can crowd them out.

Four years ago, Sridevi (Shahana Goswami) and Yash (Akshay Ajit Singh) met in Jaipur. They weren’t merely going through the motions as far as meeting a prospective partner, but neither were they ready to jump into each other’s arms. Independent and free-spirited, Sridevi might have been considering settling down, but she definitely wasn’t willing to settle. With a hard-driving father pushing him into a medical career, Yash’s focus was mostly elsewhere.

Now Sridevi has arrived in Sydney, having jumped on a plane to be with her now-husband Yash. Four years ago, they pair made it work. She chose him, and having chosen him she stuck by that choice even when, seemingly the moment they were married, he was whisked off to another country for a medical traineeship. His family persuaded him that having her with him would be a distraction. Seeing how tough he has to work, it’s hard to say they were entirely wrong.

Four Years Later: time shifts

Constantly shifting back and forth in time, and with plenty of information concealed from us, Four Years Later is intriguing from the moment Sridevi touches down in Sydney. What kind of connection does she have with bowls club pick-up artist Matt (Luke Arnold, hopefully not playing the same character he’s currently appearing as in Last King of the Cross)? For that matter, what’s going on with Yash and Jamal (Taj Aldeeb) the cleaner he’s befriended at his hospital?

ScreenHub: Last King of the Cross Season 2 review: Sydney crime show returns

Their past, at least, seems more settled, though for most viewers alarm bells will be ringing almost from the moment the two lovers meet. She’s barely ready to settle down, and though she throws herself into her marriage – going from someone who doesn’t cook to bringing Yash a perfect hot lunch at work – it’s clear that one of the things she wants out of a relationship is new experiences.

Yash, on the other hand, is barely coping with the experiences he already has. He’s obviously not excelling at his job, and living alone a continent away from everything he’s known has him fraying at the edges. His domineering father has set him on a course that brings him no joy; it’s hard to know whether he sees Sridevi as just another part of that burden, or an escape from it. After years apart, it’s possible he doesn’t even know himself.

Watch the Four Years Later trailer

Love stories traditionally thrive on quiet moments, scenes where the lovers can open up and connect. Here they hardly get a moment to themselves. In India, they’re constantly surrounded by family; in Australia, no sooner has Yash brought Sridevi into his home than he’s called into work. There’s a constant sense here that if they could only spend some quality alone time together, maybe they could work things out – or even just realise they have things to work out.

Fur years Later: India and Australia

Four Years Later takes full advantage of its Indian and Australian locations, both as striking (and sometimes oppressive) settings and as a way to explore character. On an early date, Yash takes Sridevi to an Indian zoo, a somewhat old-fashioned establishment where he sees the animals as symbols of freedom and power while she’s increasingly appalled at their captivity.

ScreenHub: SBS On Demand: new shows streaming October 2024

In Sydney, travelling home after a fumbled attempt to reconnect, she suddenly finds herself passing a beach. Jumping off the bus and jumping into the ocean, she’s once again embracing new possibilities – until passing surfer Gabs (Kate Box) bluntly warns her about the dangers of the ocean currents.

Sharply observed and full of telling details when it comes to love (and occasionally lust), this is compulsive viewing even when you just wish Yash would get a grip. Surrounded by a top notch supporting cast, both leads are utterly convincing as authentically flawed human beings, people who are trying to find happiness in a world that expects them to figure it all out in what little spare time they’re given.

We’re used to Australian dramas that look good; rarely do we get one as well written as Four Years Later. It’d be easy to read it as a series about a couple who’ve grown apart, but as it digs deeper into their lives it’s increasingly clear that they never really found the time to come together. They’re not rediscovering their love, they’re still finding it in the first place. Maybe they won’t find it at all.

Four Years Later premieres on 2 October 2024 with double episodes weekly on SBS, Wednesdays 9.20pm, and all episodes available on SBS On Demand.