Who needs cupid when the world has Sima aunty? Netflix’s tryst with reality dating shows has churned out one success story after another. In a list that boasts of Dating Around, Love Is Blind and Too Hot to Handle, the one that’s taking July by storm is Indian Matchmaking. A traditional refresher in a world dominated by dating apps, Netflix’s Indian Matchmaking has a Mumbai-based matchmaker Sima Taparia playing cupid. Endearingly introduced to viewers as Sima “mami,” the sprightly woman travels across the globe helping her Indian clients find the perfect spouse. The show’s cast, an instant hit amongst fans for their personalities, includes one such potential match of Nadia Jagessar and Shekar Jayaraman.
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Episode one introduces viewers to event planner Nadia Jagessar who stays in New Jersey with her family. With her “try everything once” attitude, Nadia is shown as someone who’s been finding dating life tough even though she organizes weddings for other people. Of Guyanese Indian descent, Nadia enlists the help of Sima to get her a life partner who’s tall, and someone passionate, ambitious, and open-minded amongst other likeable things. Although her Guyanese origins are something that bothers Sima in her search for a suitable traditional Indian boy, she first picks out three candidates based on characteristics that she vouches for. The first choice is Ravi Guru Singh, a successful lawyer from New York who has a Guyanese mother. Supposing their thoughts and similar cultures deem them a good fit, Sima arranges a meeting between Nadia and him, but the match doesn’t go through due to various reasons. Guru seems to be a bit aloof during the brunch meeting and Sima agrees that their “wavelength and chemistry” don’t fit. Next, fans see Nadia meet Vinay Chadda from New York who is the CFO at various top gyms. The Indian Matchmaking couple hit it off on the first day over a mutual hatred for ketchup and continue to meet 6-7 times post that. But Vinay ends up breaking Nadia’s heart by ghosting her not once but twice, leaving her extremely embarrassed.
Enter Shekar Jayaraman, who’s previously been revealed as a suitor for another single Aparna. Shekar, a lawyer from Chicago meets Aparna, an attorney herself from Houston and the two seem to get along well on their first meeting as they share stories of travel and exploration. Aparna, who’s already rejected two matches earlier due to her stubborn nature, “clicks” with the lawyer. However, Shekar who first confesses to finding her fun, later on, backs off saying that he found nothing in common with her. Claiming they both are very different people, he says how their outlooks towards life are contrasting especially when it comes to topics like travelling which is more laid back for him. Moving over Aparna who was too rigid for him, Shekar is now presented as a prospective spouse for the fun-loving Nadia. Indian Matchmaking sees the event planner fly to Chicago to meet Shekar along with her mom and the latter instantly approves of him. He impresses the mother-daughter duo by taking them on a boat ride, served with a side of sight-seeing and mimosas and the couple instantly take a liking to each other. Later, the two meet at a pier where they discuss their work, routines, and hobbies, and Nadia gushes that she might have finally found the one. Although the show, that was filmed a year back, doesn’t give out further information about what happened to the couple of Nadia and Shekar, they seem to be pretty active on their individual Instagram accounts.
Nadia, an MBA from Seton Hall University, is the founder and event planner at Euphoria Events in New Jersey that offers a range of wedding planning services from full event planning to day-of coordination. From proposals to weddings and even anniversary trips, the company has select customizable packages that promise to leave clients feeling truly “euphoric.” The company website states how it helps eliminate all stress from the planning process of a wedding, so anyone benefiting from the service gets to enjoy each and every unforgettable moment. Considering how immersed Nadia is in the world of weddings, it comes as no surprise that she surely will host a grand one for herself. She also is the Associate Marketing Manager and looks after business development for Givaudan for the past two years. Headquartered in Vernier, Geneva, Givaudan has a 250-year old odyssey and is a global leader in the creation of flavors and fragrances. Working in close collaboration with food, beverage, consumer product and fragrance partners, the company develops tastes and scents that delight consumers the world over. According to it’s official Instagram, it currently is also working to become a certified B Corporation, and Nadia certainly must be proud to be associated with a brand that helps build healthier lives. Apart from this, Nadia is also listed on IMDb as a dancer for a dance cover of Dholida: Loveyatri by group AATMA. AATMA Performing Arts is a NY/LA-based Indian dance company and school that’s been globally recognized for its Bollywood dance spectacular Mystic India. The Indian Matchmaking star too seems to have been a part of the dance show, which according to its website has been watched by 500,000+ people worldwide. The multi-faceted Nadia sometimes shows glimpses of her modelling work too on Instagram.
Shekar, meanwhile, is still based out of Chicago where he’s the founder of Jayaraman Law. The law firm specialises in Real Estate Litigation and Business Law. While most of his law firm’s activities deal with Business and Estate planning and insolvency, per the website, they also handle criminal matters pertaining to these two areas. Just like Nadia, Shekar too has a multi-dimensional background of both public and private sector experience. He’s a Doctor of Law from the University of South Dakota and an LL.M, in Business and Corporate Governance and has served under the Ohio Secretary of State as a Regional Liaison, handling Business Services and Elections, as stated on his LinkedIn. There, his profile also mentions his strong research and writing skills, which he honed during his federal clerkship. A look through Shekar’s Instagram reveals how he is a family man, often seen posting pictures with his sister and parents. He loved to travel, as observed by fans during his meeting with Aparna, and seems to have travelled across Mexico, Colombia, Rome, and more. He also displays a passion for rock climbing, which he refers to as the “#boulderinglife.”
Despite Nadia and Shekar actively sharing IG stories they’re tagged in on their profiles, fans have certainly noticed something amiss. The Indian Matchmaking pair do not follow each other on Instagram, neither have they interacted with, or shared any pictures together. This has made certain viewers reach the conclusion that the twosome, who seemed to have such great chemistry on the Netflix show, didn’t ever kick-start the relationship. Distance might have played a starring role in this situation or it could have been a clash of beliefs. But, as is the case with most reality TV couples, Nadia and Shekar could have also have been asked by the Indian Matchmaking team to keep their romance under wraps, which could also possibly be hinting at a season 2 of the popular show.
All episodes of Indian Matchmaking are now available to stream on Netflix.
Source: Nadia Jagessar, Shekar Jayaraman