Mocking Marriage

Marriage reality shows are granted highly entertaining and incredibly enticing to watch. And they exist all over the world. If the U.S. has The Bachelor, then India isn't far behind with not one but a whole range of marriage related shows. We have Rakhi's Swayamvar, Rahul's Dulhania's, The Perfect Bride and so on. Fine, I watch them and laugh at how these "famous" personalities attempt to marry regular folk while making a complete mockery of the institution of marriage. If Rakhi's lead up to a non-wedding wasn't misleading enough, this season we were introduced to the immensely popular, for absolutely nothing or for the wrong reasons really, Rahul Mahajan who was wooed by a number of actually pretty girls. And lastly, last year there was The Perfect Bride which housed, literally, tried to find the perfect bride and groom in India.

If you look beyond the entertainment factor, these shows make a complete farce of marriage; especially Indian marriages. You would imagine that a country that holds marriage as one of the most spiritual and vital bonds between any man and women, to be a bit more weary and conservative when it came to displaying marriage in this fashion. And by no means do I use the word "conservative" in a derogating manner. But in a country where the couple takes seven pheras around a sacred fire, it is rather odd that people would firstly succumb to such a way to a cheap and public way of choosing a life partner.

Dissecting each show individually, Rakhi made a fool out of herself when she repeatedly created drama for every small reason and then finally chose a groom. And just when you thought she was going to tie the knot and settle in matrimonial bliss, she breaks her engagement with the Canadian dude. For starters, a proper Swayamvar, the one of Sita's which is the most well-known Swayamvars, is yes, when a number of possible suitors who are put to the test made to endure a number of tasks. The best of the lot is chosen and, this is the best part, a marriage takes place immediately. Thus, technically Rakhi's Swayamvar defies the real idea of one and hence was nothing but a publicity stunt on every level.

Rahul's Swayamvar is one that made me want to cringe because on no level is this man even the least bit marriage material and this is an obvious fact for many reasons. Firstly, he has a terrible track record with women. Secondly, he owns a shady and disgustingly sleazy personality which makes me cringe, and how. And lastly, what on earth does he even do? Does he even have a source of income? What makes the show even more disgusting are the girls! These are not stupid girls but educated career-oriented pretty girls who could get better guys. Better than Mahajan for sure. Anyway, he swears his marriage will be genuine. Time will tell.

The Perfect Bride was yet another lame attempt to bring together couples. This was perhaps a bit more interesting because the show was not about any famous nobodies but regular folk. My favorite part was how the potential brides were made to live with their potential mother-in-laws. That made the show some-what watchable. Beyond that, yet another sham.

Such shows are incredibly disturbing. I'm not sure what kind of impression they give off to the younger generation who already believe that the idea of marriage is out-dated. I just hope that the viewers watch the show for purely entertainment value and no other reason.