The same casting and production choices inform the current season, which is set in New Orleans. In the show, Ms Taparia is seen describing marriage as a familial obligation, insisting that “parents know best and must guide their children”. She consults astrologers and even a face reader over whether a match would be auspicious or not, and calls her clients – mostly independent women – “stubborn”, telling them to “compromise” or “be flexible” or “adjust” if they are to find a mate. “As an educated, liberal, middle-class Indian lespark sign up woman who does not view marriage as an essential part of life, I watched Indian Matchmaking like an outsider looking in on an alien world,” journalist and film critic Anna MM Vetticad told the BBC. It’s the parents, mostly mothers of young men, who are in charge, insisting on a “tall and fair bride” from a “good family” and their own caste. In the series, she’s seen jet-setting around Delhi, Mumbai and several American cities, meeting prospective brides and grooms to find out what they are looking for in a life partner.
It’s funny because the only way to escape the island is literally to find love and become a couple, which makes the incentive to get into a relationship even bigger. That being said, the show tends to skirt any criticism of arranged marriage. While Western critiques of arranged marriage tend to focus on the most extreme, abusive examples, expecting Indian Matchmaking to answer for those would be like asking Selling Sunset to answer for the housing crisis. And despite the fact that we know them well, the returning cast members’ stories only further the confusion. While Pradhyuman’s wedding preparations are an endearing arc, Aparna seems to be on a completely separate show. She was a standout in Season 1; her unapologetic stubbornness and willingness to hold her own against Sima’s authority and constant reminders to “compromise” were some of the most engaging elements of the series.
I’m not here to play games or win an argument, I’m here to find a partner to grow with and support. Having a piece of paper from the state provides a false sense of security, and I understand how little that piece of paper actually means without real commitment. There were many interactions that weren’t shown in the final edit, and I was surprised at the similarities between the comments I heard from my Netflix dates and what I’d heard from other dates in the past.
Netflix team of casting directors that knew what I was looking for, I was also hopeful that they had the resources to find me better dates than I had had luck with in the past. “So Justin chose the woman he had the least amount of chemistry with? #DatingAround,” expressed a puzzled fan. Another fan declared, “Justin’s choice makes no sense #DatingAround.” “Justin didn’t have any chemistry with the women he picked #DatingAround,” pointed out a fan.
90 DAY FIANCE: HULU
This series feels a bit more realistic than some other dating shows and gives insight into what modern dating can be like. Plus, there is diversity in this series with queer people included which is refreshing. If you love 90 Day Fiance, it’s especially intriguing to see these couples as real-life sets in even more. Having only three months to get married is a short amount of time, so being able to look at how everything comes together is illuminating. Honestly, as someone who watches a lot of movies and TV shows all around, there’s something so fun about decompressing with some relationship drama and friendly dating competition.
Aparna Shewakramani
Dating Around isa more realistic dating show with a sort of traditional style of romance. Drinks and dinner helped them build deeper connections, and due to some contestants being easily datable, they were quick to get a match to take to the second date. However, most couples have failed to find mutual connections since the show ended.
In Back with the Ex, couples who had previously broken up want to give their relationships another try, and we see if that works out, or if it’s a waste of time. I’m starting to think Netflix really likes making these dating shows. In this original, Dating Around follows different singles as they’re set up on five blind dates each. No client is particularly enthused about this, but they listen with varying degrees of receptiveness. This isn’t entirely unexpected; they are all going through the same process.
From then on, while he didn’t budge on the caste requirements, my father seemed more mindful of what I wanted. And that’s the difference between a professional matchmaker and a parent. My parents couldn’t just dust their hands off and move on to their next matchmaking project. Taparia, who claims to be Mumbai’s top matchmaker, travels frequently to New Jersey, New Delhi, and wherever else her services are required. At home in Mumbai, we see her husband helping her sift through a stack of ‘biodata’ – elaborate profiles of people who have registered with her, complete with head shots – mentally swiping left or right.
Throughout the series, Aunty Sima arranges many possible matches for individuals from India’s elite to persons in the western United States. Dating Around, Netflix’s new reality series in which singles go on blind dates with five complete strangers, that I had never seen on a dating show before. In addition to showing “classist” and “casteist” stereotypes, the show was criticised for whitewashing the idea of arranged marriages. Netflix’s latest reality series Indian Matchmaking is making waves across the United States, hitting the top 10 most viewed shows in the country within a week of its release. It’s not as awful as it could be — the clients all seem to earnestly want their search for love to work.
While there have been criticisms about the show’s portrayal of certain cultural practices, overall Indian dating show Netflix has been popular both in India and around the world. Its success has paved the way for new talent and new perspectives to be represented in media, providing a platform for underrepresented voices to be heard. With increasing demand for diverse representation in media, it is likely that shows like Indian dating show Netflix will continue to be popular both in India and around the world.
But what has come as a surprise to many here is that affluent, successful, independent Indian-Americans are also willing to try “methods from the past” and rely on the wisdom of someone like “Sima aunty” to find them a match. Many of them also come with long shopping lists that include caste and religious preferences. After her five blind dates, Deva was strongly attracted to Maria, and she is the one she settled for.
As he explained to his dates, he was in the same relationship since he was 21, so now, his early 30s are the first time he’s really dating. Vinesh is an athletic dog-lover from Miami, Florida who’s looking for someone who shares a similar lifestyle and can match his energy. However, the fact that he and his circle of friends and family are jokers does mean that Sima is a bit skeptical of him and wonders whether he’s actually serious about finding the one. Sima’s work is never over, as another batch of singletons has decided to put their love lives in her very capable hands in the second series of Netflix’s Emmy-nominated dating series which is available to stream right now. Indian Matchmaking is back, and a new batch of singletons have joined the Indian Matchmaking season 2 cast desperate for help from Mumbai’s premier matchmaker, Sima Taparia.
During the phone call a few weeks ago, my dad brought up my 3-year-old daughter. He said he hopes his granddaughter doesn’t have to endure what I did. My daughter may or may not end up having an arranged marriage, but whatever she chooses, my husband and I want her quest for finding love and partnership to be driven by her vision, and not ours. For many Indian women, including me, mid-20s is the time when parents have the “talk”—except this talk isn’t about sex or puberty . It’s that time when a woman realizes that she’s a liability to her parents even if she is financially independent.
And then there was that god-awful list Sima made them do of superlatives for the qualities they wanted in a potential match. Being self-aware enough to make such a list is important, but the way it was created doomed them from the beginning. That list was created without guidance or appropriate understanding of how to identify the qualities you need in a partner. I have made a similar list before, but with the help of a real relationship expert who could guide me when I was thinking too small.
