The Christian Science Monitor

Less Bollywood, more us: How India's weddings are changing

Chiranjiv and Vasundhara Sawhney, who were married last December, at their home on June 23, 2019, in Delhi, India.

That an Amazon TV series featuring two fictional New Delhi wedding planners would take the land of the big fat Indian wedding by storm was a surprise to almost no one, it seems, including Vasundhara Sawhney.

“Have you seen ‘Made in Heaven’? Nothing gives a better picture of the wedding scene in India right now,” says the data technician, who has a startup news and information platform for women. 

“It really goes into all the ways that Indian weddings are changing, even with all the traditions we keep,” she says of the series, which takes on everything from dowry conflicts and class to a now-overturned law against gay sex. “I think weddings are a real window into how Indian society and marriage are changing.”

Ms. Sawhney speaks from experience. Married less than a year, the New Delhi native says she was conscious of her desire to reflect both the old and new Indias in her wedding last December to her now-husband, Chiranjiv Sawhney. 

For one thing – and despite (henna painting) and (turmeric-paste bathing) rites. The festivities culminated in a big dinner-dance reception worthy of Bollywood. 

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from The Christian Science Monitor

The Christian Science Monitor5 min readWorld
‘Divest From Israel’: Easy Slogan, Challenging For Universities
“Disclose. Divest.”  The rallying cry, echoing on many large campuses in the United States in recent weeks, represents a powerful new voice in a two-decade international movement to protest Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories through econo
The Christian Science Monitor4 min readInternational Relations
Facing Russian Threat And An Uncertain America, Europe Rearms
Two words – stark, sober words – sum up a dramatic mood swing in Europe that could redefine, and ultimately loosen, the Continent’s decades-old alliance with the United States. War footing. That phrase, voiced most recently by British Prime Minister
The Christian Science Monitor2 min readAmerican Government
Why 'Two Montana Guys' Are Duking It Out In The Senate
About 45 minutes into our Monitor Breakfast on May 2 with Sen. Steve Daines, I finally asked him the question: “So how's your relationship with Jon Tester these days, given that you're trying to get him fired?” Senators Daines and Tester of Montana a

Related Books & Audiobooks