Sima Taparia on mixed reaction to Indian Matchmaking Emmy nod: Respect every opinion and reaction

For Sima Taparia, her reality show, Indian Matchmaking, getting an Emmy nomination is a moment filled with joy and excitement, and no amount of trolling or condemning can change that.

“The show recently completed one year and now with the Emmy nod, it has turned out to be a double celebration for me. Getting recognised on a global platform is a big deal, considering the show is about arrange marriage, which is a deep rooted tradition in Indian culture,” Taparia tells us with excitement in her voice, adding, “Aur hum zaroor jeetenge”.

Taparia’s web show has bagged a nomination for the 73rd Emmy Awards under the Unstructured Reality Program category. The Netflix show is pitted against RuPaul’s Drag Race: Untucked, Becoming, Below Deck and Selling Sunset.

While it was a gleeful moment for the Mumbai-based matchmaker, fondly called Sima aunty, the global nomination left many surprised and shocked, with some calling it out for its problematic portrayal through a regressive lens. But that doesn’t bother Taparia because she lives by one mantra — ‘love me or hate me, but you can’t ignore me’.

“Dekho main toh happy hun that my show has entertained the audience and nominated hua hai. It’s a joyous moment, and nothing can change that. Also, everyone will have an opinion,” she the 57-year-old, adding, “And opinion toh sabka same nahi ho sakta na. I welcome and respect every opinion and reaction. My job was to be real on the show, and I could achieve that, jo sabne dekha.”

Here, she has one question, “Had I been diplomatic, would the show have been a hit? The show brings out the real story, and that’s why people have loved it so much.”

In fact, she’s loving all the attention, and becoming the ‘Meme aunty’ for the netizens.

“More the memes, the more the show becomes a hit. Whenever I’m free, I look at the memes — both negative and positive — bahut maza aata hai mujhe. Jitne zyada memes utni zyada popularity milegi apne ko,” she quips.

Taparia wraps up while listing out the universal mantra to have a happily ever after — ‘Do a little compromise, adjustment, be a little flexible, keep ego aside and give each other love and respect’.

“If you do all this, you will automatically have a smooth marriage. Also, you need to balance your professional and personal life. You may call Sima aunty orthodox, I will say the same thing today and in future as well. Aaj kal ki generation ko yeh samajh nahi aata, that’s why I keep on emphasising on this,” she concludes.