Inside the crazy daisy world of the modern arranged marriage

The wedding business in India is, at once, not surprising and a constant amazement.

And we got a short, sharp peek into the astonishing world of modern arranged marriage with talented young filmmaker Anandana Kapur, whose quirky documentary Much Ado About Knotting dives into this gargantuan invisible industry.

It is, of course, about wedding portals and matrimonial ads, but also about private detectives conducting “asset checks” and “previous proximity” checks; grooming classes where men and women learn how to bite a sandwich and correctly hold a cup of coffee; about cosmetic surgery to fix one’s smile and modern swayamvars at South Delhi malls where young hopefuls take the stage to solicit brides or grooms.

A brief, amusing excerpt of the film is here – but if you’ve got an hour, we suggest watching the film in its entirety for a fascinating insight into the bewildering, hopeful, transactional world of soulmate-hunting.

But first, watch the brief but insightful conversation with Anandana above.