Netflix's 'Indian Matchmaking' has been one of the most talked about shows around the world, since its release in 2020. The three-season-long show follows Sima Taparia, a matchmaker from Mumbai as she meets with Indians from the United States of America, India and the United Kingdom, in the hope of setting them up with their future partner. The show also showcases the highs and lows of finding someone to getting to know one another.
Connector met with Sima Taparia, known affectionately as Sima Aunty, where she shared her views on arranged marriages and fame after 'Indian Matchmaking'.
Sima Taparia started out in the matchmaking business in 2005, though her first successful match was helping her sister Priti find her life partner over 25 years ago.
Sima Taparia said, "I had a unique ability to talk to people, to understand them, to scan them, and to connect to them. In 2005, I thought 'why not start matchmaking, it will be a great help to people' and started this professionally. Like 25 years before, I did a match with my own sister Priti, who is happily married in Boston. Then I got the confidence that I can make matches and help people. So then I started matchmaking."
After starring in 'Indian Matchmaking', Sima Taparia got her shot at fame, and has since become one of the go-to people in the matchmaking industry. On sharing her thoughts about the show, she said, "I had a very good experience with 'Indian Matchmaking'. The show rocked the world. It was a one of a kind reality show. It was amazing and I never dreamed that the show will make me a big celebrity throughout the world, and has gone viral. I have shown my Indian traditional values in the show, and my traditional values have made me a star. Every non-Indian is also watching the show."
The show went viral all around the world and since then, Sima Taparia's life has never been the same. The newfound fame found the matchmaker starring in other reality shows like 'Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives' and 'Big Boss', and Sima Taparia also explored her talents by releasing the song 'Shaadi Ki Tayaree Hai' on YouTube.
Traditionally, matchmaking is when people share their thoughts on the qualities they would like in their future partner with the matchmaker, who then assists in finding the right match and introduces them to assess and develop compatibility. When compared to finding love in the digital world, Sima Taparia shared that the success rate of finding the right person is difficult digitally, as there is no one to help in making the right match. In an arranged marriage, the two personalities are brought together and can match based on their views and outlook in life.
Sima Taparia said, "In digital, there is no cupid, and there is no mediator in the middle. So the success rate becomes very low. In an arranged marriage, we get the two personalities together and match their views, and they meet and understand if it is a yes or no. The success rate is always high, because somebody is involved in it. If something goes wrong, the two families get involved. So I always tell them, my method of marriage is relevant and popular."
In Indian society, it is not just two people finding their match and life partners, but also a union of families. With the help of arranged marriages, families play a critical role in ensuring that the person is the right fit for the family member.
Sima Taparia added, "Family is very important, actually. Because first, the two families get involved. They see whether they match, and then I allow the youngsters to match. Then it becomes confident and a strong build."
While sharing her thoughts on finding a match and helping people find their significant other, Sima Taparia first sits with her clients to understand what they are looking for in the person to start a life with. Based on the criteria provided by her clients, she then works on making a match and shares it with them, to make a decision on whether they would like to go forward with it.
Sima Taparia said, "When people come in, they talk about the criteria and tell me we want these things. Then I have to work according to them because they come with so much confidence in who I am. You have to work according to them in matching, and give them what the requirement is and then give the proposal to them."
As some people come to Sima Taparia with extensive criteria, her advice is to be realistic, as it is not easy to find the right person that fits all the requirements, saying, "I always say to lower your expectations. If you have high expectations, then it is very difficult, because you will never get a match. So, I tell my clients that you will never get 100%. If you get 60% to 70%, you should proceed, and when staying together, you can make 100%."
Sharing advice with the people she is looking to find a match for, Sima Taparia said, "I give values to the children to always drop your ego and have patience, compromise, be a little flexible and appreciate your partner's strength. These qualities will make your married life go smoothly, and you will have a very good relationship."
Sima Taparia is now looking to branch out in Dubai and at more locations around the world, after seeing success from working with clients in India, the United States and the United Kingdom.