Bollymark

When I found out that Hallmark was doing the Indian thing as their latest foray into including diversity in their romances, I was all in and very much looking forward to seeing what Hallmark was going to do with it. My second reaction was “What took them so long?!” I have seen and loved many Indian films and not just Bollywood-type. Cutting to the chase, it was very good. It included Indian culture and traditions without heavy-handed stereotypes. Not to mention the food. The romance was fairly standard, but it also leaned into some deeper and more complex emotional issues as well that each lead had to overcome. I’m all for fewer festivals, small towns, and monkeyshines and more for the internal stuff.

Vivi works for a dating app firm, and, always aspiring for love and a happy marriage herself due to her unhappy parents (more on that later), she is front and center in the app’s promotional material. She is in a happy relationship with “the one” whom she met using the dating app, DataMate. When her boyfriend breaks up with her though, she learns that her employer’s success rate for matches that last long term is only 20%. She decides she wants to increase the percentage of matches that end in marriage by incorporating the more serious methods of an Indian matchmaker, Raina, who is getting some media attention due to her long-term success rate. Raina and her handsome son agree. They want to grow their plateauing business by extending their methods to non-Indian men and women. So Vivi is persuaded to be the guinea pig to see if the partnership will work and it all will be watched over by the handsome son, “Boom.” Yes. Bet that’s the first time we have had a Hallmark leading man with such an explosive name! She is matched with 3 possibilities that don’t work out for one reason or another. But meanwhile, Vivi and Boom (short for Bumar, I think) are getting closer.

One of the reasons the matches are not working out for Vivi (besides the growing mutual attraction and rapport with Boom) is that Raina incorporates family into her process. “Marriage isn’t just about two people, It affects the whole family.” Unfortunately, Vivi’s mom and dad are unhappy and always very unpleasant and fighting. This is why Vivi, who was always trying unsuccessfully to keep her Mom and Dad from quarreling as a child, relies more on analytics and tests (What 5 things would you take with you to the Moon?), not trusting chemistry and feelings. Raina’s methods are much wiser as she bases her matches on talking about important things like finances, philosophies, and children. She also has the dates being watched over by objective “spies” to see how things are really going. Not relying on the couple’s often skewed perceptions. I gotta say, I thought this was brilliant. Vivi is having some success with one guy (despite the fact that by now she is in love with Boom and vice versa). But it’s all ruined when, despite Vivi finally hooking Mom and Dad up with a marriage counselor, they wisely decide to get a divorce. Vivi regresses to her old ways, and the perfect guy, Tristan, breaks up with her. On the way to Boom and Vivi’s happy and beautiful Indian Wedding at the end, there are a lot of challenges to overcome, many of them on Boom’s part, who has some Dead Daddy issues and keeps it impersonal and standoffish with Vivi despite realizing that she is his perfect match. Very nice romantic tension there, by the way. There was a lot packed into this one, and it was well-written and well-organized thanks to montages and time jumps.

Rekha Sharma as Raina was lovely, amusing, and wise. Another another stand out was Sean Yves Lessard as Vivi’s obnoxious boss who only cares about revenue, not happy endings for his customers.  When Vivi is told that DataMate will not continue to partner with Raina the matchmaker because there were too many permanent and successful matches and less “repeat business”,  she quits. Personally, I wouldn’t have lasted 2 days working for that guy. OMG.

It all ends with two great kisses and a traditional Indian wedding with a dose of Bollywood 1 year later. I can’t wait to see what else Hallmark has up their diversity sleeve. Bring it on. More India, I hope.