“Indian Matchmaking” is one of the most popular and controversial shows on Netflix.
In South Africa, and around the globe, Sima Taparia, a marriage consultant from Mumbai, has become the most talked-about person.
While entertaining, she’s been heavily criticised for adopting such a regressive approach to matchmaking.
“Indian Matchmaking” has come under for celebrating sexism, colourism and a patriarchal mindset.
India’s caste system is a glaring setback of the show, where darker-skinned individuals and feminism is boldly shunned.
Whatever your thoughts on the show, though, there is no avoiding Sima’s crazy comments, especially with demanding clients like Aparna Shewakramani, a 34-year-old lawyer, who hates being a lawyer and is very “picky” when it comes to a life partner.
In being a matchmaker for wealthy families, Sima has to pander to their requests. However, she doesn’t hold her tongue when it comes to criticising them for being unreasonable with their expectations.
Aparna’s refusal to compromise and jeweller and amateur chef Pradhyman Malloo’s non-committal attitude drives Sima insane.
And so she gets a little help from her pool of experts.
In some ways, Sima manipulates situations by limiting the options of difficult individuals.
In this way, they are coerced into going on a date with someone that might not be their cup of tea.
Here are 10 outrageous comments from Sima on “Indian Matchmaking“:
1. “Marriages nowadays are like biscuits, they keep breaking.”
2. “In India nowadays, the boy or girl can refuse to get married. They have full freedom, so how will things go smoothly?”
3. “She’s very nice but she’s short. This will not match.”
4. “If the females are lawyers in India, people are scared.”
5. “She now she’s 34, then she didn’t find any good boy.” This was to Aparna’s mom.
6. “Aparna has to compromise...you have to compromise, and you have to adjust it.”
7. “They want tall. They want fair. They want from a good family.”
8. “She’s tall, slim, trip, educated, from a good family.”
9. If anybody comes to me with a child, I mostly don’t take that case.”
10. “They’re saying, ‘I want slim, tall and beautiful, but with a good nature.”