Back in my day, a matchmaker from my village would insist that the prospective bride wear a sari while the boy’s side comes calling. Dowry was an integral part of arranged marriages, and so was the hyperbole that matchmakers used while describing the boy and girl to ensure that the marriage happened. Sima Taparia, of Netflix’s Indian Matchmaking, is a lot less annoying than the matchmakers I knew.
Of course, times have changed. And so have matchmakers. ‘Sima aunty’, for example, does not even mention the word ‘dowry’. She thinks of the boy and girl as her ‘children’, diligently finds out what they are looking for in each other, lets them vent and lends them a patient ear. She is pragmatic and sensitive to the needs and feelings of her clients. “First is marriage, then love. That is the beauty of arranged marriages,” says Taparia.
However, the series reinforces stereotypes, such as the reference to encountering cows on the streets while driving in India. It also promotes superstition. Taparia, who does not approve of Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra, endorses face reader Janardhan Dhurbe, who predicts a match’s success from the photographs of the potential groom and bride.
But everyone loves to watch a show on matchmaking. It is heartwarming to listen to long married couples talk about how they first met and fell in love. Everyone has something to say about Indian Matchmaking season 2. Sima aunty’s matches may not be made in heaven, but they sure are a great conversation starter..