mid-day's 42nd anniversary: Woman of the match

Sima Taparia at her Lower Parel residence. Pic/Shadab Khan

Sima Taparia, 58

After the viral web show, the matchmaker has become a household name, with business booming amid a crisis

In a world where impersonal, app-based algorithms are churning out choices of potential life partners, Mumbai-based matchmaker Sima Taparia brings to the table a generous helping of warmth and emotion. A swish salwar-kameez, neat, side-parted hair, an understanding smile and a chatty eagerness - Taparia is like the cool aunty who, both your mother and you, can open up to. And when Netflix original Indian Matchmaking dropped in July 2020, Sima aunty came home to millions of viewers across the globe, becoming an Internet sensation overnight in the middle of a trying pandemic.

Love followed in the form of gushing emails, incessant phone calls - she had to unhook the landline for a month, and of course, countless requests to help find the perfect match, the founder of Suitable Rishta reveals. "The show was a one-of-its-kind experience; I had never thought it would rock the world. People started recognising me with my mask on," Taparia recalls over a call. In the first episode, the matchmaker explains that in India, we don't say "arranged marriage" - there is marriage and then, love marriage. So, personally, Taparia's proudest breakthrough was demystifying this idea for youngsters. "Since the show last year, youngsters have been telling me they are open to arranged marriage now. I tried to show the Indian values I grew up with - compromise, flexibility, adjustment and giving love and respect. If you want to go through life smoothly, these qualities are key. You might not like it, but people lapped up this bitter truth," she notes.

A still from Netflix's Indian Matchmaking

With the pandemic nudging everyone towards emotional security, marriage, says Taparia, has become more inviting. Naturally, business has been booming. "Many people got registered with me during this phase. In the past year, I've seen more people keen to opt for arranged marriages," she says.

The marriage consultant, whose clients are spread across the world from the UAE to the USA, has been social and outgoing ever since she was a little girl growing up in Gulbarga, Karnataka. Blessed with the ability to warm up to perfect strangers and foster lasting bonds, Taparia turned matchmaker for her sister 25 years ago. Eventually, she took up the profession in 2005.

On an average day, Taparia juggles demands as varied as "slim, trim, educated", and "not the funniest guy in the room". Add to the mix, pressing requests from parents and the alignment of stars. The matchmaker, who has a mental Excel sheet of all these needs, prefers to take a personal approach to each case. "If restrictions permit nowadays, I prefer to meet the clients and their families in person, gauge their personalities, check out how they live, and understand their financial background and upbringing," she says, adding that in the current situation, it's "work-from-anywhere" for her.

Even in these turbulent times, Taparia reminds us that love is around the corner. Her mantra: no one's perfect. "If you find yourself matching 70 per cent with somebody, go for it."