A new Netflix show with Indian roots has rocked the world. Not in the way we'd expect, though. Indian Matchmaking, a reality show about Indian practice of arranged marriages, is hailed as a cringe-fest. Are we, collectively as a world, going go forget about Toddlers and Tiaras and Housewives of Wherever? The bar is set too low to be broken by Indian Matchmaking, so everyone calm down just a lil bit. And for the ones, who are calling out Indian Matchmaking for being regressive and problematic, the show's producer Smriti Mundhra has something to say to you.

In an interview with Scroll.in, Smriti was asked about the remarks on the matchmaker’s role and narratives that do not look beyond heterosexuals. She said, "The job of the show isn’t to sanitize the world of matchmaking and arranged marriage and make it seem more progressive and inclusive than it is,"

"We tried to look at this tradition, which is so deeply rooted in our culture, with nuance and through multiple points of view, without denying that a lot needs to change. I hope the conversations started by the show will help to propel that change."

Smriti also addressed the criticism about colourism and body conformity. "This is the reality of how many people in our culture still think. To remove those references from the show would be to sanitize this process, rather than be honest about it," she said.

"And plenty of participants in the series defy or refuse to conform to these 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 concluded adding a silver lining to the show and the process.

 

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 27, 2020 11:11 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).