FEMINIST INTERPRETATION

ON
CHAVARA MATRIMONY AD

CHANDANA K A
2020/PSCI/0061
SEMESTER 5
CLASSICAL POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY INTERNAL-
ASSESSMENT
Traditional matrimonial sites don't have to be 'inclusive' or 'progressive' and have the right to
freedom of expression. However, as a viewer, we should be able to appreciate the message it
conveys and filter out the noise. Recently, a matrimony site named chavara matrimony
(February 2022) released an extremely misogynistic Malayalam ad.

The commercial begins with a shot of Sarah, a self-occupied girl, painting and embroidering
on glass. When Sara is introduced, the narrator says, "Vaaliye kalakari okke anengilum,
Sarakyu kootikalle ishtam alla", implying that although she is a great artist, she does not like
children. He says that Sarah doesn't like marriage and the responsibilities that come with it
either. Further, the narrator continues that her disinterest continued until she met Abbey on
chavara matrimony, and Abbey showed her the “right path” to go on.

The next shot (last shot) has a heavily pregnant Sara doing household chores, approaching
her three other kids to feed them by sitting on the floor, while her husband Abbey is passing
smiles, standing nearby. And the ad ends with the quote of the male narrator saying, ‘and
unliking will turn to likings, when one finds the right partner’.

In the guise of being an online dating platform, matrimonial sites are becoming tools in the
hands of the parents to arrange a marriage, circumventing individual choice. Here, Sara’s
choice doesn't matter, she is forcefully willing to the male domination. They are not caring
about her individual freedom.

In the case of responsibility, the ad portrays that a person will only be responsible if they
marry. According to the advertisement, Sarah is a successful artist. So shouldn't she have the
right to be satisfied without being "responsible"? Going from a woman who doesn't like
children to have three kids and another one on the way is a little over the top, to say the least.

Moreover, this ad addresses the idea that marriage can "cure" everything. Eh, you don't like
children? No problem. Get married and put out a couple. Then everything in the world will be
fine. This ad maximises the value of women in their ability to be wives and mothers. There is
no place for a woman's dreams, personality and ambitions. There is no place for a woman
who has voluntarily decided she doesn't want a husband or children. They are just domestic
help and child-producing machines. Apparently, this is a "disease" that must be cured by
marriage.

Progressive people are to be admired, who view companionship as the underlying goal of
marriage. That's when two adults, who have come to a like-minded agreement, decide to
pursue life goals together and endorse each other's views and opinions. However, the ad
seems to perpetuate the idea that the ultimate goal of marriage is to have children and to be
"responsible."

The next appearance of Sara with a full belly doing the house works and coming to feed three
other kids while her husband standing nearby coveys, it is the only duty of a woman to do all
the work in the house even if she is ill and also shows that the limiting space of matrimony
has forced her to limit her world to her husband and her children, not her choices, passion or
career matter here.

The ad ends with the tagline, “Your dislikes will turn into likes when you meet the right
partner.” While it’s not too far out of the realm for people to change, the perspective changes
when you add marriage into the mix. People who have staunchly stood by a viewpoint may
change them when they meet new people or experience new things. But when you say “her
thoughts changed because she got married”, it is problematic.

At a time when we talk about feminism and fight to break free from patriarchy, this ad that
amplifies the misogyny that is prevalent in society. It emphasises the idea that we must
conform to the type of thinking we do.

The earlier life of Sara is shown as unfulfilling, satisfying just inside-the-bubble pleasures.
After marriage, Sara is depicted as a happy homemaker, a fulfilling wife, who has achieved
the greatest purpose in her life- marriage, giving birth to children, and bringing them up. The
ad shamelessly hints at the inevitability of the presence of a man in a woman’s life to make it
complete, fulfilling, and happy.

In addition to that, with different branches of the matrimony portal, catering to different
sections/castes of society, matrimony is, in fact, imposing a framework for loving.

Ads, movies, etc., have a larger canvas of influence on people and society. So spreading such
types of indigestible views may lead to many issues. It’s 2022, Chavara Matrimony, wake up
and smell the coffee! We are trying to move forward and not go back to the dark ages.