It’s been dubbed the next big Netflix must-watch, but Indian Matchmaking, released last week, has already become mired in controversy.
The show follows professional matchmaker Sima Taparia as she tries to help arrange marriages in the US and India, but has been accused of – amongst other things – colourism, sexism and classism. Social media has been full of criticism over the weekend.
‘Sima from Mumbai’ as she introduces herself, is Mumbai’s Top Matchmaker and introduces herself, saying: ‘In India marriage is a very big industry, a very big fat industry.
‘In India we don’t say arranged marriage - there is marriage and then love marriage. The marriages are between two families, the two families have their reputation and many millions of dollars at stake. So the parents guide their children and that’s the work of a matchmaker.’
In the opening moments, she’s seen talking to a mother, discussing the height and nature of the woman she’s demanding for her son, before a montage of her clients giving their demands and Sima assessing her dossier of people.
‘They want tall, they want fair, they want from a good family,’ she says. ‘You have to see the caste, the height, the age…’
Netflix says of the show: 'What happens when you’re ready to meet someone but the dating apps feel superficial and aren’t yielding the desired results? Meet the single millennials who have decided that it’s time to revisit methods from the past and look to the experts.
'Over 8 episodes, elite Indian matchmaker Sima Taparia learns about her clients with painstaking precision - from interests and ambitions to in-depth astrological readings - as she guides them towards their perfect match.
'From Houston to Chicago to Mumbai, these young singles go on sometimes fun, sometimes awkward first dates - often with their family in tow - to discover whether these good-on-paper matches can turn into a love that lasts a lifetime.'
While the show has come under criticism for several things on Twitter, colourism (discrimination based on skin colour – in this case a preference for lighter skin) has been a leading concern.
‘the casualness with which people keep repeating the requirement that matches be “fair” is...disconcerting,’ wrote one user.
‘So we not gonna address the constant and blatant colourism in #IndianMatchmaking? Okay, cool. Carry on,’ wrote another.
One headline about the show went further, branding it ‘this year's scariest horror story about arranged marriages’.
While it could’ve been interesting in another format to look at the colourism, money and problems involved in the matchmaking system, the show doesn’t address them. Instead the show is presented in the sense of any other Netflix dating show, with fun graphics and careful editing we're used to from shows like Love Is Blind.
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What To Watch on Netflix June 2020 - Grazia
1 of 14Keeping Up With The Kardashians
One word: iconic. Follow Hollywood's First Family in their first two seasons as we go all the way back to 2007 when Kylie was 10 and Kendall was 12. 1 June
2 of 14The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills
The first two seasons of the iconic Real Housewives of Beverley Hills (and the first two seasons of the Real Housewives of Atlanta) are coming to Netflix this June. Keep your eyes peeled for appearances by Gigi and Bella Hadid before they were household names. 1 June
3 of 14Queer Eye, series 5
The Fab Five are back! The fifth series sees the boys travel to Philadelphia to help transform the lives of 10 (yes, 10!) different people, who they call 'heroes.' This is just what we need to get through the rest of lockdown. 5 June
4 of 14Lenox Hill
Fans of One Born Every Minute and 24 Hours in A&E will love this docu-series following four doctors (two brain surgeons, an emergency room physician and a Chief Resident OBGYN ) at New York's Lenox Hill Hospital as they balance their personal lives and their dedication to their patients. 10 June
5 of 14The Order
After watching Harlen Coben's The Stranger and Safe, now try his latest series, The Woods. Set in two different time spans, 1994 and 2019, this drama tells the story of a Warsaw prosecutor who is still grieving the loss of his sister who went missing at summer camp 25 years ago. Now, as new evidence is brought to life, there is hope that his sister could still be alive. 12 June
6 of 14Hereditary
Starring Grazia-favourite Toni Collette, this horror film sees the Graham family haunted (literally) by their ancestry following the death of their matriarch. 15 June
7 of 14The Politician, series 2
In the second series of Ryan Murphy's political drama, Payton (Ben Platt) fights to unseat Dede Standish (Judith Light) in the New York State Senate race, but actions by his mother Georgina (Gwyneth Paltrow) threaten to upstage him. 19 June
8 of 14Father Soldier Son
Following the family of Sgt. First Class Brian Eisch, who was injured while serving in Afghanistan, this documentary shows the effect military life can have on a family over a 10 year period. 17 July.
9 of 14The Sinner, series 3
Fans of the mysterious drama The Sinner will be pleased to see that Detective Harry Ambrose returns to trying to figure out why normal people commit heinous crimes. This series begins with a car crash that leaves only one survivor, but was it really an accident? 19 June
10 of 14Athlete A
Follow the reporters from The Indianapolis Star, who exposed Dr. Larry Nassar's history of sexual abuse in the US, in this documentary about the abuse of young women on the USA Gymnastic's team. June 24
11 of 14Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again
See Cher, Meryl Streep and Lily James starin this sequel to everyone's favourite ABBA sing-a-long. 26 June
12 of 14Dolly Parton: Here I Am
Learn everything you ever wanted to know about superstar Dolly Parton in this documentary celebrating her extraordinary life, career and music. TBD
13 of 14Dream Girls
Beyoncé and Jennifer Hudson sing their way to the top in this incredible film with an even more incredible wardrobe. TBD
14 of 14Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown
Travel across the globe with chef Anthony Bourdain as he uncovers little-known areas of the world and celebrates diverse cultures by exploring food and dining rituals. TBD