Indian Matchmaking’s Sima Taparia reacts to not being able to match a single person on the Netflix show

Hindustan Times | ByRohan Naahar
Jul 29, 2020 02:43 PM IST

Indian Matchmaking’s Sima Taparia spoke to Hindustan Times about not being able to find a single match on the show, if she feels she’s been fairly portrayed, and what the future holds.

Some things change. Some don’t. Business has picked up for Sima Taparia (from Mumbai) after the release of the new Netflix reality show Indian Matchmaking. But her reliance on destiny, the alignment of stars, and the subtle power of compromise remains as strong as ever.

Sima Taparia in a still from Netflix’s Indian Matchmaking.
Sima Taparia in a still from Netflix’s Indian Matchmaking.

“I tell all my clients, boys and girls, that they have to adjust and compromise,” Sima told Hindustan Times, after much adjustment and compromise on our part. She denied that finding a suitable life partner, via a matchmaker such as herself, is more difficult for women as compared to men.

Indian Matchmaking is as much about Sima as it is about the young men and women from across the world who seek her services. It is the rare show that plays differently for different viewers. The world doesn’t seem to have made up its mind about it. To some, it is a tongue-in-cheek take at rather regressive ideas that are undeniably a part of Indian society -- deep-rooted issues such as casteism, colourism and sexism. To others, it comes across as a celebration of those very ideas.

Pundit Sushil Ji and Sima Taparia in episode five of Indian Matchmaking. (Courtesy of Netflix)
Pundit Sushil Ji and Sima Taparia in episode five of Indian Matchmaking. (Courtesy of Netflix)

Sima is not bothered by the backlash that the show has received. “There will always be criticism,” she said. “This is the way my work is and how my clients are. We have to be truthful. But the series also showed some good things that have changed, like how independent girls are now.” In the show, Sima provides unfiltered feedback to several of her clients. She appears to be irritated by some of them, like the Houston-based lawyer Aparna, whom she called ‘negative’, and the Delhi-based entrepreneur Ankita. “This is a reality show. I was straightforward, just as I am in real life,” Sima said. “I have to be honest with my clients, otherwise I’m not helping them. That doesn’t mean I agree with it.”

But despite her best efforts, and her clients’ implicit belief in her methods, which include consulting face-readers and pandits, Sima wasn’t able to match any of them. The Los Angeles Times reported that none of the participants in the show found suitable life partners. Not even Akshay, whose story concludes in the show with a ‘roka’ ceremony. “Of course it’s disappointing,” Sima said, adding that all she can do is to introduce potential partners to each other. “The rest is up to destiny.”

“Marriages are made in heaven,” she added, for good measure.

Also read: None of the Indian Matchmaking couples stayed together: From Aparna to Vyasar, Sima couldn’t find partners for any of them

She stressed that she trusts creator Smriti Mundhra, with whom she has worked in the past, to portray her in an unbiased manner on the show. The two have known each other for 15 years. “I really admired the fact that she was able to trust me and showed how I really work, and I also trusted her to show me as I am,” she said.

As for the future, the stars seem to be aligning for a season two. But Sima has no idea about it yet. She said that she’s now reached a point where she’s been forced to wonder if she can even handle more clients. “I already had so many clients before the show, and now I’m getting so many more inquiries,” she said.

Follow @htshowbiz for more
The author tweets @RohanNaahar

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