Meet the so-called villain of Indian Matchmaking

Brut India

"I had a very poor experience with my matchmaker." Umm, but why? Aparna Shewakramani from Indian Matchmaking reveals that and much more in this interview with Brut.

Transcript

00:00We have to see our husbands all the time?

00:02Is that a thing that people have to do?

00:16Hi, I'm Aparna Shrivapramani from Indian Matchmaking.

00:31I had a very poor experience with my matchmaker.

00:34And I think that it is very hard for South Asian women often to set boundaries.

00:38But for me, I wanted my story to be an authentic version of myself.

00:42And a part of that is that I'm learning how to set really good boundaries.

00:46If someone compromises me or says mean things about me, calls me negative or unstable,

00:51I'm not going to be friends with them.

00:54If someone doesn't like me, I think that's their problem, not mine.

00:57Because I like me.

01:02Your matchmaker should be on your team and should be very vested in your happiness.

01:06And that could be a really positive experience if done right.

01:09I didn't get that experience.

01:11I feel like there's this whole understanding that needs to be grasped by the people who watch television.

01:16That it is made to entertain you. Use it as entertainment and then stop there.

01:20Everyone wants to believe that everything they see on TV is real.

01:23And I just don't understand that.

01:41I think there's a power in reclaiming your narrative.

01:44So when I got this opportunity to write the book, I thought,

01:49yeah, I will never have the reach of a Netflix show.

01:53But if my example can change one person's life or five people's lives, this book was worth it.

01:59I think that's the power of reclaiming your narrative.

02:02And I think that's the power of reclaiming your narrative.

02:05If my example can change one person's life or five people's lives, this book was worth it.

02:10As South Asian women, I think that we would change our communities and generations to come.

02:15And it seems simple.

02:17But I think it's hard at first and then it becomes easier.

02:21And I wanted to show people that.

02:35One of the big reasons I went on season two is like, sure, I can maybe find love in the span of the taping,

02:40but maybe I won't. That's not what matters.

02:43Like my love story many years from now will still be the one of a woman who built a life that she loved for herself.

02:50And we don't see that love story enough.

02:58We just live our lives and they take parts of it.

03:01And that is literally the show.

03:03There is no huge production. There's no script.

03:06We definitely are sharing our lives because we believe that's important to normalize South Asian storytelling on TV.

03:13And it's a very brave thing to do.

03:15It's a very vulnerable thing to do.

03:16And it definitely has nothing to do with money.

03:18And I think that it kind of gives authenticity to the show.

03:22Like the Hallmark card I never asked to get.

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