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In love, will marry
The face of love is fast changing in 2011, but not at the cost of loyalty.
Looking forward to your big Valentine’s date tonight? There’s good news at hand. Unlike a decade ago, when a couple in love was doomed by societal norms, today, the Capital is more open than ever to marrying for love, say experts across the country.
Tracking the reasons for this change, shrinks say the culture of the Capital itself has changed. “Unlike a few years ago, Delhi has a cosmopolitan culture and most of the times support is given for love marriages. So the couples are confident about marrying their boyfriend or girlfriend,” says Dr Gitanjali Sharma, marriage and relationship counsellor.
Surveys across the country support the observation. The Hindustan Times Youth Survey, for instance, found that 63.6% Delhiites in the 18-25 age group said they plan to marry their girlfriend or boyfriend. In 2008, professors from Delhi University hosted a seminar on the changing concept of marriage in India. A large section of papers looked at acceptance of love marriages and how our society has coined a new phrase — ‘arranged love marriage’, which allows for romance and parental sanction. 24-year-old Sneha Gupta and 27-year-old Rohan Kapoor, for instance, have been dating each for a year, and knew they wanted to be together before they got into a relationship. “I wasn’t interested in a fling. That was fine in college, I wanted to meet someone I see myself with forever and work on that relationship,” says Kapoor.
“Youngsters today see a lot of anguish around them, which results out of chaotic relationships. They see celebs break up at the drop of a hat, or their parents in turbulent phases in their relationships. They don’t want such things to take place in their lives and therefore try to give their best to their relationships,” says Dr Avdesh Sharma, psychiatrist. Love has also become bolder over the last decade, say experts, thanks to films and the media.
“The portrayal of love has completely changed in our films as these have become more real, the stories are more real and the characters are identifiable. Love is not just holding hands and singing in a park. It’s just not platonic, it’s also physical now. Love in our films also includes a three letter word now — sex. And it is not considered to be a taboo now too as it is getting real,” says trade analyst Taran Adarsh.
