Controversial Netflix docuseries, 'Indian Matchmaking', could have second season
Indian Matchmaking, the center of attention and criticism on social media, could have a second season, which might not be different from the first one, the executive producer of the docuseries, Smriti Mundhra, hinted recently while interacting with Scroll. In the interview, Mundhra responded to the ire the show has received and mentioned it was never meant to "sanitize" the society. Here's more.
First, let's understand what the show is all about
The docuseries, that released on Netflix, focuses on how professional matchmaker Sima Taparia helps her clients of Indian origin find suitable life partners. Sima pays regular visits to the family of each candidate, collects information about the candidates' personalities, preferences, and everything related to their socio-economic status before finding a match. Her job is done when the arranged matches get ready to take vows.
The show's concept didn't resonate with many
Soon after the show aired on July 16, a majority of viewers slammed it for depicting marriage as a ruthlessly materialistic settlement. Some called it misogynistic, while others called it realistic. Sima's visions about the ideal man being "fair" and "tall" and the woman being not less than '5'3'' in height sent shock waves. It was hardly surprising that the show sparked a meme-fest.
Twitter user lamented how she didn't match Sima's standards
However, another one opined the show was real
Addressing flak, show's EP said it was an honest portrayal
As the show became the talk of the town, Mundhra gave an interview where she was asked if Indian Matchmaking tried to appeal to a global audience by showing the uncomfortable scenarios of our marriage structures. She replied that the series just portrayed the system earnestly. The candidates, she said, were chosen after they were comfortable with camera and the format of the show.
'Indian Matchmaking' wasn't looking to impart moral science lessons: Mundhra
The show, Mundhra mentioned, had diverse perspectives from Malayali, Punjabi, Marwari, Sikh, and other communities, and even touched on the stigma of divorces in Indian marriages. She added that the job of the show was not to "sanitize" the system of an arranged marriage. The docuseries merely gave a sneak peek into the existing system, she added.
She claimed the docuseries showed powerful voices as well
"Plenty of participants in the series defy or refuse to conform to standards, which I think is a powerful statement about how young people in India and the diaspora are changing in terms of what we should value when it comes to marriage," she said.
Mundhra is hoping the show changes the age-old system
When asked about the overbearing behavior of Sima, portrayed in the show, Mundhra said the idea was to look at the tradition of arranged marriages "with nuance and through multiple points of view without denying that a lot needs to change." She hoped that the conversations the docuseries sparked, bring about that change. And if they don't, their second season might do the job.
