Netflix recently released the third season of Indian Matchmaking, a reality dating show that follows popular matchmaker, Sima Taparia, who works her magic with her clients. Even though the show is now in its third season, many are still wondering whether it is scripted or not.
Ever since the first season came out in June 2020, fans have been skeptical about the realness of Sima Aunty's work. If you're also wondering the same thing, we're here to figure out whether Indian Matchmaking is scripted or not.
Here's what we know.
Who Is Sima Aunty From Indian Matchmaking?
Before anything, let's talk about Sima Taparia aka Sima Aunty. The TV personality has over 131K followers on her Instagram account and is known as an official matchmaker and marriage consultant residing in Mumbai.
Even though the first season of Indian Matchmaking only came out in 2020, Sima Aunty has been matching couples for decades. While the TV series is now in its third season, Sima previously said that the entire process can take months to years, depending on her clients.
In fact, Sima works throughout the world. Despite starring in Indian Matchmaking, she has clients from the US, the UK, Australia, Thailand, Nigeria, Hong Kong, and Singapore.
And yes, you have to hire her for her matchmaking services outside of the show.
Why Do Fans Think Indian Matchmaking Is Scripted?
Back when the first season came out, the show was met with criticism and allegations that the entire thing is fake. The Quint World has even listed down 10 reasons why social media thinks Indian Matchmaking is fake.
The list points out that Vinay Chadha's revelation about the show was the first to spark the show's credibility. This is because a few days after the series premiered, Vinay clarified an issue on his Instagram account.
He said that did not ghost Nadia Jagessar and her friends because he did not know about the date. This led many to believe that the show was steered towards this to add viewership and drama.
There were also some who believed that the match between Viral Joshi and Aashay Shah seems scripted. But there are also other viewers who praised the other cast members for not seeming fake.
Is Indian Matchmaking Scripted?
So let's get to the bottom of things: is Indian Matchmaking scripted? Before answering though, it's important to know that reality shows aren't 100% authentic.
Even the most successful ones have had some interference from the show's producers. And there are some scenes that have been edited out to create drama in the final episode.
Despite these, Indian Matchmaking does its best to stay true and unscripted. There have also been a few cast members from the show who have debunked these rumors.
One of the people who have refuted the scripted claims is Nadia Jagessar. She has previously shared that her experience was completely real.
"The story was told in such a genuine way and I loved how real everything was. So many people asked if this was staged or scripted or fake in any way and I can assure you it wasn’t (at least not from my end)!"
Nadia also praised the "surreal experience" she had during filming.
Another cast member, Aparna Sshewakramai, spoke to Metro and revealed that none of the moments were "scripted or forced."
"This is a really authentic show where the cameras happen to be in the room but it’s you living your life, going on those dates, reflecting with your friends and your family on the process and I think it would lose its vulnerability and charm if anyone got involved and started scripting anything."
That said, the cast members who have appeared in the show are not paid actors. They are simply real individuals who are trying to find the right match for them.
Since the first season came out, many of these cast members have given interviews where they shared how Sima Aunty's matchmaking process did not work for them.
And of course, the star of the show has also answered the rumors that the show is scripted. Speaking to Today, Sima Aunty shared:
“They wanted to show the process of Indian matchmaking to the world.”
You can check out the trailer of Indian Matchmaking Season 3 here to see it for yourself:
You can watch Indian Matchmaking on Netflix.