Indian Matchmaking is Netflix’s new reality TV/docuseries following Mumbai-based matchmaker Sima Thaparia as she guides clients from the US and India to find suitable life partners.
This series is like every Indian parent’s wet dream. It delves deep into arranged marriages, (mostly) its pros and the customs behind it. We also have kundali matching and face reading for added Indian-ness.
Indian Matchmaking honestly takes a sweet look at the horror that, to many, is arranged marriage. Different people from different walks of life try to find a partner they want to spend their entire lives with. Sima’s clients come in and go out in each episode, until they find someone for themselves. It’s actually sweet, because, even though it is scripted (I think), it still feels very real. These people try to have real conversations, seem to have a background and come with their own baggage and their own set of problems.
Ofcourse, it’s not just dating, there’s a prospect of marriage attached to it, so obviously the stakes are higher. But regardless, every person and their interactions seem genuine. You become invested in their lives and their choices after a while.
There’s also Sima, the matchmaker, who does everything she can to find the right people for her clients. However, Indian shows cannot be complete without some overbearing parents and some heavy judgement, and Indian Matchmaking falls in that category as well. There’s some bit, especially with the things that Sima says, that are problematic.
There’s a bit about a family where the mother literally forces her son to get married to that the older son can have a child. I don’t know the logic behind it, but, I mean, okay. I’ve heard worse. Sima also judges the people she matches and mentions too many times that people have too high expectations. However, I think that’s supposed to happen if you’re independent.
As I was talking about interactions, they seem so genuine. The clients themselves are sweet, and come from every walk of life. There’s someone who, inspite of asking for the matchmaker’s help, meets someone on a dating site. On the other hand, another person decides that she’d rather stay single and focus on her career.
Everyone else has such nice conversations that they feel like things you’d talk about if you were meeting someone in similar circumstances. There’s a lot of openness and truth behind it. It’s something that, I think, most Indians would connect with.
Summing up: Indian Matchmaking
Indian Matchmaking is a sweet show about arranged marriages and how they are not what they used to be years ago. The concepts have changed, people have evolved, and parents don’t force their children to get married without their consent (thank god).
There also these very sweet moments where couples who have gotten married years ago, talk about what they like the most about their partners and marriages, and it’s honestly heart-warming. To spend like 50 years with someone sounds amazing. Even with its problematic bits, the series leaves a smile on your face.
Indian Matchmaking is streaming on Netflix.
Read our other reviews here.