Indian Matchmaking is back on Netflix with a third season. And just like the previous two seasons, the top matchmaker from Mumbai is jet-setting across India, the USA, and her latest addition – England. Sima Taparia is on a mission to make sure her clients find their prospective life partners. But of course, she doesn’t do magical wishes with a wand. Sima Aunty can only do so much.
But while we are it, we cannot let go of the fact that the show, its cast, and even the star often pass statements that are problematic and deserve some serious calling out. How can we forget when Sima Aunty said that she didn’t like Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas?
If you thought that the makers must have made some changes after reading the criticisms people had for the previous seasons, let me tell you that you are up for disappointment. The third season of Indian Matchmaking is as problematic as before. We summed up the 10 problematic things that we saw in the third season of the show. Mind you, these 10 points only scratch the surface.
1. Sima Aunty’s silence and comments after Arti told her about her boyfriend is telling.
When Sima Aunty could not find a match for Arti who checked her boxes, Arti took things into her own hands and found her boyfriend (later, fiance) through a dating app. The person was Muslim. When Arti told Sima about it, her pause and her comments spoke volumes.
2. “Community” is just a code word for caste.
“Similar background”, “respectable family”, and “community” are some of the words her clients use. But these phrases are just another way of mentioning caste. For example, this client of hers who ideally wants a partner from his “community”.
3. What is the problem if today’s generation is independent?
It’s strange how her clients are adult enough to be married but not adult enough to make decisions that they deem fit for themselves. A decision with regard to choosing a partner they have to spend the rest of their lives with. Her generation might have done things differently and it’s okay if we don’t want to follow the same path.
4. If anything, Sima aunty needs to stop glorifying arranged marriages as THE thing.
What in the Namastey London is this statement?
5. Indian Matchmaking has its share of “jokes.”
You really just need to Google ‘dowry’ and take a cursory glance at the news articles that come up. The instances which newlywed brides go through, which also become a matter of life and death, should never be the topic of a “joke.”
6. When accent played a major role.
Vikash wanted a Hindi-speaking woman because he is attached to Indian “culture”. But when, for once, Sima Taparia gave what her client really wanted, turns out the woman was too Indian for him. Loving Bollywood, solo dancing to Hindi songs, and speaking Hindi aren’t the only markers of Indian culture.
7. Marrying someone who you are attracted is too much to ask for.
When Arti told Sima that she could not feel any spark/chemistry/connection with the matches Sima found for her, she was told to settle for less. Hate to break Sima Aunty’s bubble but it’s not too much if someone wants to feel a connection with their match first. Spark does not stem from physical attraction, it also stems from the conversations you have with the match.
8. Being divorced is seen as a “disadvantage.”
It’s 2023 but Sima Aunty sees divorce as a disadvantage. Her comment underlines the stigma divorced women face in South Asian communities. If that wasn’t all, this client was asked to be less picky because apparently, a divorced woman can’t live life on her own terms. The stigma that divorced woman face make other women stay in broken marriages.
9. As a woman, you have two options – marriage or your family.
Forget the fact that a woman has a successful career, after marriage she has to choose between her family or her in-laws. That’s what Sima Aunty thinks. And it’s strange that only women have to go through these choices. Sima passes regressive comments throughout the show, and this is just one of them. Can we please leave these “choices” back?
10. Stop selling compromise, for goodness’ sake.
According to Sima, marriages stand on four pillars – patience, adjustment, compromise, and flexibility. Attraction, shared goals, shared values, respect, and trust go for a toss. And we don’t need to elaborate on how worrying this whole notion is.
As the season progresses, Indian Matchmaking progressively gets problematic.
Also Read: 17 Things That Made Me Really Angry After Watching ‘Indian Matchmaking’