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Popular Netflix show, “Indian Matchmaking” is back for a second season, with matchmaker Sima Taparia back at the helm!
Season Two is bringing back fan favorites, like Aparna Shewakramani and Nadia Jagessar, but is also welcoming new South Asian singles looking to find love.
One such newcomer is New Yorker Shital Patel. Originally from Edison, New Jersey, Shital’s journey on the show was one that she considers an “inner journey”
“I started the matchmaking process with Sima Aunty and we went through her typical process of aligning bio datas with my extensive list of requirements. It was really when we got into the list that I discovered what was truly important to me and what was on the list was coming from old conditioning and preconceived notions, whether formed by family, society, culture or even pressure I put on myself of what I thought a partner should be.”
As a South Asian woman approaching her late thirties, Shital felt pressure from family and friends to find a life partner, especially after having been through a few relationships.
“Prior to joining Indian Matchmaking, I had already been on a path of personal growth, and I was working with a mindset coach for the last two years. Growing up South Asian, I had extended family telling me that finding a husband and marriage should be the main goal and I imagine this resonates with many South Asian women. I decided I wanted to bring the focus back to me, figure out what was blocking me from finding love and learn to find validation within myself,” Shital said.
Although Shital doesn’t agree much with Sima’s matchmaking process, she realized that in order to meet someone, she had to put herself out there.
“I had my mindset coach and was continuing the inner work but I realized I wasn’t putting myself out there to meet someone which is so important. As the clichéd phrase goes, Prince Charming isn’t going to knock on your door … What is pushing outside of your comfort zone more than working with an international matchmaker and putting the journey on a reality series for the whole world to see!”
Although parts of her filming experience weren’t the best, Shital explains that she wouldn’t change it “for the world.”
“I met some interesting people through the process, a few I call close friends, and although not every match was a good fit and there were some awkward, cringe moments I would say those moments helped me get a step closer to finding the one.”
When Season One of “Indian Matchmaking” was released in 2020, it gained a love-hate relationship with viewers, specifically amongst the South Asian community. While some were entertained by the reality show, others felt that it didn’t accurately portray the arranged marriage phenomenon.
Shital explains that it’s important to clarify and question what the definition of a modern arranged marriage is in 2022 when determining whether the show does a good job in portraying arranged marriages.
“I think there are many ways to look at it and the show does a great job of showing one aspect of how a marriage can be arranged through a professional matchmaker. In today’s world, your mom, sister, friend, auntie can all be matchmakers. The arranged concept is about having someone you trust vet a potential match based on specific criteria/background and set you up, with the hope of giving you the best chance at a successful partnership. Ultimately, it’s up to each individual to see if they are a good fit for each other but bringing people together based on a thorough vetting process does help take out a lot of the guess work that people find themselves doing when meeting on dating apps.”
“Indian Matchmaking” Season Two released today, August 10th, on Netflix!
