Kriti Mehrotra
With 2020 keeping us inside our houses and unable to experience the world outside, every streaming service is giving us wondrous back to back on-demand entertainment. Netflix, it seems like, is specializing in reality dating. First, they gave us ‘Dating Around,’ then they came out with ‘Love Is Blind,’ then they took one step further to give us ‘Too Hot to Handle,’ and now after all of that, they came up with ‘Indian Matchmaking,’ a totally new kind of reality romance that honestly has us obsessed.
The series follows Sima Taparia, the most prominent matchmaker in India as she uses her decades of experience and keen instincts to pair up singles across the States and India. Unlike other shows, though, this one is more patient and heartwarming, letting relationships unfold naturally. Okay, yes, there are intrusions from family members and help from life coaches, gurus, pandits, and literal stars as well, but the main connection between the cast and their potential partners is all organic. So, let us introduce you to the main members.
Aparna Shewakramani
Aparna’s personality can easily be described as one that has been made for reality TV. She’s strong, she’s independent, and she’s successful, but the way the Houston native judges others and thinks that she isn’t picky, even though she is, a lot, is what left us astounded. Her expressions, of course, were a plus. She didn’t want a man who she had to see every single day, didn’t want him to be funny, didn’t want a lawyer, and he had to know all the little facts about the world. She went on a lot of dates, yes, and we’ll be honest, they were almost always entertaining.
Pradhyuman Marloo
Pradhyuman seemed like a great catch from the beginning: good-looking, experimental, attractive, and ready to find a partner. However, he wasn’t open about who he goes out to meet and even admitted that he didn’t think that he was ready to get married. Being a travel enthusiast and jewelry designer, he wanted someone as creative and adventurous as him. Additionally, he also wanted their aesthetics to please him. He was looking for attraction both physically and mentally, which he expected to find on the first day itself. Thankfully, after some serious discussions with his sister and a life coach, he changed his ways.
Nadia Jagessar
As an event planner in New Jersey, Nadia’s life, more often than not, centers around weddings, but she herself thinks that she’d be better off eloping, just going to the court and then throwing a small beach party. However, she can’t do that until unless she finds a partner. Since her family emigrated from Guyana, she’s had issues with guys viewing her as South American rather than Indian, which has, of course, caused problems in how she viewed herself as well. Now knowing who she is, she is ready to get into something serious, and therefore, enlisted Sima’s help in finding someone who would appreciate her as herself, a perfect blend of Indian, Guyanese, and American.
Vyasar Ganesan
Vyasar is a friendly college counselor who lives in Austin, Texas, and loves everything pop culture. His personality is bigger than his stature and although he can look intimidating, the way he handles himself and makes others feel comfortable is definitely his outstanding quality. He turned to Sima for help, describing the dating scene as a “hot mess” after his long string of unlucky relationships. His dream partner would be someone who would be okay with his quirks and game nights, be a good communicator, up for an adventure, and down to try everything that he cooks up in the kitchen.
Akshay
Akshay had no clue about what he was looking for in his partner. He wasn’t even ready to get married, but when his mother, Preeti, decided that she wanted a daughter-in-law and her son to settle down, he, being the ever-loving accepting son, agreed to get dragged into the matchmaking process. Preeti had a lot of specifications in terms of what she wanted, but whenever Sima sent a potential match their way, Akshay rejected them. He seemed meek and reserved, but he had no qualms in being picky. If you thought Pradhyuman was bad, Akshay was worse. He rejected over 70 girls before even agreeing to meet someone.
Ankita Bansal
Ankita Bansal is the perfect example of a modern-day career woman. The Delhi native has her own brand, There!, and is extremely ambitious, but what she’d been missing in her life was true romance. A feminist through and through, yes, but even then, she’d been looking for a life partner for some joy. Her father admitted that although he doesn’t think his daughter is wrong, it would take the world some time to catch up with her forward-thinking and progressive ways. Through the whole matchmaking process, Ankita wasn’t able to find a man, but she did find what she was looking for, happiness, in herself.
Rupam
Rupam is not only divorced but also a single mother living and trying to find love in Denver. The fact that she’s been married already means that, unfortunately, she has a big disadvantage when it comes to finding a match. Even though sometimes relationships don’t work out, in the Indian community, there is a stigma that surrounds it, a stigma that Rupam and her family face every day. Nevertheless, she has held on to the hope that she can find a man who is not that traditional but still shares her Sikh faith. Her criteria were simple, someone ambitious, caring, and affectionate.
Read More: What Is The Cost of Hiring Sima Taparia?
