| Mirror
Magazine |
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Indians
meet their match on TV It is a ritual
carried out every day in private homes across India, but these families
have chosen to play out the drama of the traditional arranged marriage
in front of a television audience of millions. "Would
you allow me to carry on my career after marriage?" Meenakshi
asks. Vinod nods
vigorously. "Absolutely. I want an independent wife with a
career and opinions of her own." There are two
more candidates, but Meenakshi and Vinod are already smitten. By
episode four their engagement is sealed and weeks later they are
married, before Kahin Naa Kahin Koi Hai (Somewhere There Is Someone
For You) goes on air as India's first matrimonial gameshow. Millions have
tuned in to see India's enduring social tradition played out on
the small screen. Meenakshi Wagh, 27, a professional badminton player,
agreed to appear as a favour to a friend and also to placate her
parents, who were beginning to fret about her age. "Marriage
was not on my mind, but when I met Vinod I knew he was for me,"
she said. Vinod Deshpande,
28, was also taken by surprise. "I never thought in my wildest
dreams that I would meet my bride. I only went on the show to meet
Madhuri Dixit," he said, referring to the hostess, a Bollywood
siren. His mother,
Nirmala, said: "I thought it was slightly weird, but I am very
glad he did it." She admitted that she would have arranged
things differently. "We would have looked at her horoscope
rather than getting a blood test done," she said, referring
to the compulsory HIV test for all contestants. Meenakshi's
parents, however, were delighted by the medical screening. Suman,
her mother, said: "We could never have asked the groom's side
to conduct tests." Audience reactions
have been mixed. "I don't approve at all," said Shukla,
a viewer from Delhi, who nevertheless admitted that she had watched
every episode. "They are made to sit too close to each other." Producers insist
that the show sticks as closely as possible to tradition, with the
parents playing the paramount role, choosing the shortlist of suitors.
"It's a completely traditional arranged marriage the only difference
is that it's on television," Zarina Mehta, the creative director,
said. All concerned
agree that researchers find out more about candidates than parents
could. "People are less likely to lie on television,"
Ms Mehta said. "They know all their friends and family are
watching." But not all
find love. Last month the hapless Shikani recoiled as one prospective
husband bombarded her with questions about looking after his parents
in their old age. Three candidates and three episodes later, she
leaves still single. "We try
our best to match them but they don't always like each other,"
Ms Mehta said, "It's just like real life." Colourful
statements Sounds intriguing?
But no, they're not the name of a lipstick, the shade of your newest
outfit, wallet or handbag. Then there
is Spiderman, Batman, Star Wars and even Harry Potter. Sound familiar?
Of course they do. They're all well liked movie and cartoon characters. All these,
if you haven't guessed by now are "phone covers", the
latest trend among fashion conscious teens. The 'X-press-on covers'
are fast catching on as another accessory to match individual styles. The choices
available in shops which sell phone accessories are quite an eye-opener.
The press-on covers come in different themes and colours such as
Thirsty Blue, Wave Blue, and Flushed Yellow. They also cater to
different tastes. If you are a movie buff who wishes to own all
the merchandise available on your favourite movie, then there's
Star Wars, Spiderman and also the ever so famous Harry Potter to
choose from. The cartoon range includes Loony Tunes, South Park,
Garfield, Snoopy etc. And if all this doesn't really appeal to you,
fear not, because there's more. This includes
the clear covers with the KFC logo, the Levi's jeans and the popular
zebra stripes, considered 'in' by the fashion concious. So what of
the cost factor? They range from Rs.350 to Rs.550, with the original
covers costing between Rs.600 to Rs.2500. However, that
is not all in the phone accessory world. 3D screen holograms, which
can be bought as pictures of frogs, dogs, fish and other animals,
will personalise your phone and also protect it from scratches. Flash Stickers
that cost about Rs.225 are immensely popular amongst the younger
crowd. The stickers feature logos from Sesame Street, Batman and
Spider man. When the phone rings, the sticker lights up and starts
to flash, creating a very colourful picture. But most of
these phone accessories are duplicates. Said Kamal Narangoda who
works at the Nokia outlet at Crescat, "Many of the phone covers
people buy are not originals. The copies are popular because they
are much cheaper and there's a wider choice. But durability-wise,
it's hard to say that they are long lasting." But in the end, for many youngsters, it's about making a fashion statement. It is suddenly becoming hip and trendy to match your phone with your bag and outfit... How far would you want to go? The choice is yours. Stupid or
stunning? Kushlani: "Why
are phones becoming real fashion statements? I so don't relate to
it." Enakshi: "I
think it is hip! Having covers to match your outfits and bags is
so cool... I have a number of covers which I collect and change
whenever I want." Kamal: "Yeah,
phone covers and stickers are really in. All my friends use these
accessories and every one thinks they are very nice." Ranil: "Isn't
it obvious I like them? Look at my phone..." (His phone cover
had a picture of the Jedi Knights from Star Wars and a flash sticker
of the same.) |
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