‘Indian matchmaking‘is an eight-episode series (courtesy netflix_in)
Strong points
- “ Indian Matchmaking ” touches on the custom of arranged marriages
- The show is a major win for Netflix
- Some describe it as a “festival of gnashing of teeth” on social networks
Netflix Inc. has hit the sweet spot with a controversial reality TV series about a globetrotting Indian matchmaker helping picky clients find life partners, to spur the streaming giant’s efforts to produce local content for them. subscribers in new markets.
Indian matchmaking, which debuted last week, touches on the age-old custom of arranged marriages, in which families, friends, or matchmakers reunite eligible parties – unlike popular Western reality shows like “Bachelor” or “Love is Blind” . The show stars Sima Taparia – the match arranger – casting astrologers, face readers, and marriage coaches to accomplish her mission.
The eight-episode series with its mix of romance, heartbreak and toxic relationships is gaining viewers not only in India, but also in countries like the US and UK, where South Asian populations are large. The show is a major win for Netflix, which competes for eyeballs with Amazon.com Inc’s Prime Video, Disney + Hotstar, Zee5, and SonyLIV as hundreds of millions of Indians stranded at home roll out online looking for entertainment during the pandemic.
Netflix has nearly 193 million subscribers worldwide and does not provide user data for individual markets. The buzz – and some online fury – generated by the matchmaker series shows that the company may begin to leverage content produced for India to gain a wider audience overseas as well.
“The streaming platforms have tried to gain spirit sharing by tailoring content with a deep connection to regional audiences,” said Tarun Pathak, associate director of New Delhi-based Counterpoint Research. “Even though Netflix viewers don’t fully relate to the matchmaking series, it still gets them talking.”
With China inaccessible, India has become the battleground for the global streaming giants. The rivals have low cost subscription plans aimed at the country. Netflix’s monthly mobile-only plan costs 199 rupees ($ 2.70), while its regular plans start at 499 rupees. Amazon Prime’s all-screen subscription is cheaper at Rs 129 per month and Disney + Hotstar plans start at Rs 399 per year.
The concept of arranged marriages – essentially pre-vetted encounters but with a more urgent and more precise orientation towards marriage – has fascinated Westerners for years. For many Indians, even those with a Western education, the pressure to get married steadily increased from the mid-1920s and several of the reality show’s singles say that dating apps and online matchmaking do not have not worked for them.
Yet the series, while leaving some viewers wanting more, has drawn criticism for its portrayal of caste, obsession with fair skin, and misogyny. Some describe it as a “squeak festival” on social media to highlight the worst of Indian culture, including sexism and racism. But many say it reflects the ugly side of arranged marriages.
Poorna Jagannathan, an actor and a series regular in Netflix’s American teenage comedy “Never Have I Ever”, said the series was “horrifying.”
#IndianMatchmaking was awful.
As well, #Netflix, how long can you drop season 2 (ask a friend) pic.twitter.com/RIn59Gwz6q– Poorna Jagannathan (@PoornaJags) July 18, 2020
A representative for Netflix declined to comment on the show’s content or the controversy raging online.
The series also made its main characters overnight stars. A deluge of memes shows “Sima Auntie”, the calm but critical matchmaker who calls the shots, as she repeatedly introduces herself as “Sima from Mumbai” and gushes lines like “finally my efforts are meaningless if the stars are not aligned. ” As she springs between Houston, New York and Mumbai, glancing casually around the bedrooms and scanning the wardrobes, the matchmaker says, “In India, we don’t say ‘arranged marriage’; there is marriage and then the marriage of love. ”
The first season ends on carefully structured cliffhangers. Most of the singles he introduces do not find a marriage partner, leaving room for more episodes.
(Except for the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is posted from a syndicated feed.)
