TBH, we are guilty of fantasising about meeting our other half through a romantic situation. While they are better off as fantasies, finding a life partner should happen as naturally as possible… or through an experienced matchmaker like Auntie Sima from Netflix’s Indian Matchmaking.
After watching both seasons, the Netflix series gave me a new perspective on finding love through arranged marriages in the 21st century, and how difficult it is to find the “perfect” match.
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There were plenty of moments when I wanted to tell Nadia that Shekar was the one for her, especially when I saw how truthful and sincere the man was. It was obvious that both had mutual feelings for each other, but I guess Nadia wanted the extra spark which she didn’t see in Shekar.
Likely due to miscommunication and their geological differences as well, Shekar missed the timing to tell Nadia that he was ready to move on to the next stage of their relationship. In the end, Nadia broke the news to Shekar that she was dating someone else.
Moral of the story? Never miss out on telling someone your true feelings.
Everyone wants a perfect relationship with the right person. So it is not surprising to see some of Auntie Sima’s clients with a long list of criteria when it comes to finding their Mr or Miss Right. Take 30-year-old Viral, for example.
The pharmaceutical worker mentioned at least 12 criteria for her ideal partner such as “knowing pilates” and “having an occupation as a doctor”. NGL, but even I found those prerequisites a lil’ overwhelming.
While I do believe that it is possible to find someone who fulfils all the criteria, it doesn’t guarantee that the relationship or marriage will be long-lasting. Perhaps finding an imperfect person is the perfect solution instead.
Unfortunately, it is human nature to sometimes judge without fully understanding a person or a situation. As such, it is difficult for people like Vyasar to open up to others, especially about his dark familial history ‒ he was a child of divorce and his father was put behind bars due to a murder conspiracy.
While many viewers found him endearing and honest in wanting to have a serious relationship, Vyasar didn’t luck out with Rashi and left the show as a single. Hopefully, in the near future, the high school guidance counsellor will be able to find someone who cherishes and understands him.
When I heard that Pradhyuman rejected 150 girls that Auntie Sima introduced to him, I thought he was a playboy who wasn’t serious about settling down. But it turned out that he was one of the most romantic cast members on the Netflix series ‒ he proposed to his then-girlfriend Ashima at the seaside during sunset.
As he met Ashima at a party and not through Auntie Sima, he believed it was destiny which brought them together. Pradhyuman might have taken some time to find his true love, but his story shows that the right person will eventually appear, no matter how long it takes.
Typical first dates usually include catching a movie and having dinner at a restaurant before calling it a night, and most of the time, it is hard to figure out what the other person feels about you. Well, not for Viral as she has her own method of getting to know a person within a short amount of time ‒ by going on a date at a furniture store.
By doing so, she believes that you’ll find out a person’s preferences and understand their decision-making process. Since we don’t get such experiences on a normal movie date, you have to give it to Viral for such creative date ideas.
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Indian Matchmaking isn’t like any other reality dating shows because most of the cast are in their 30s, with some hitting the big 4-0 in a couple of years. This confirms certain beliefs like how everyone has their own timeline, be it in a career or in a relationship, so there really is no point in comparing yourself to others.
Plus, as a reassurance to those who are desperate to meet their OTP, the show gives faith to singleton viewers that they’ll eventually meet their other half.
The feeling of hearing someone saying “I told you so” sucks, so imagine how Nadia felt when she realised that Auntie Sima was right about Vishal ‒ the guy who the matchmaker felt wasn’t a good match for her. If Nadia had followed Auntie Sima’s advice, she might have had a better love ending.
Nadia also ended things with Shekar for Vishal, so it wasn’t wrong to say “what goes around comes around”.
While the ultimate goal of having a matchmaker is to find a potential life partner, many of the cast also discovered more about themselves ‒ some decided that they were better off being single.
Rather than settling for the wrong person, Ankita realised that she wanted to focus more on her career. Instead of constantly seeking the one, she believed that her time would be better spent on work.
Many viewers probably agree with Ankita as there is nothing wrong with taking time for yourself and finding out what you actually want in life.
This is the reality ‒ not everyone is blessed with a blissful marriage and divorces do happen. While these divorcees might have not done it right the first time, it doesn’t mean they don’t deserve a second chance in love.
Rupam, a divorcee with a daughter, showed that she was ready to give love another shot, and wanted to build a complete family for her child. Her brave personality earned the respect of many viewers as it was definitely not easy to show her vulnerable side to the public.
In both seasons of Indian Matchmaking, viewers saw cast members like Viral and Aprana who had clear criteria and relationship goals because they knew what they wanted to achieve in life. But because of the love life that the ladies envisioned, some viewed them as strong-headed ‒ but IMO, there is nothing wrong with knowing what you want since it is your relationship.
On the other hand, cast members like Akshay from Season 1 didn’t seem to be sure what he wanted in a partner. As he only requested a wife with the same qualities as his mother, it suggested that he wasn’t ready to settle, let alone start a family.
As uncommon as matchmaking is in today’s society, it is not completely unrelatable. Through Indian Matchmaking, the Netflix series allows us to learn about the relationship culture of the Indian community while teaching us important lessons about life and love which we can apply in our daily lives.
All images courtesy of Netflix.
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