The content creator talks about his new series for Tinder India, featuring actors like Sara Ali Khan and Rashmika Mandanna
With lockdown restrictions easing and people embracing the new normal, women in India are back to navigate the complex power relationships that plague the dating scene in India.
Now, swipe ride, A show on YouTube by Tinder India, Putting women at the center of the conversation around dating. The series is hosted by popular content creator, comedian and social media star Kusha Kapila, and co-produced with film director Debbie Rao, and comics and writers Sreeja Chaturvedi and Supriya Joshi.
In each episode, Kusha is seen taking a Tinder member on her date, with an impressive female personality; The likes of actors Sara Ali Khan and Rashmika Mandanna have already been a part of the series.
Excerpts from an interview with Kusha swipe ride,
The show featured young English-speaking women coming from relatively wealthy families. Is this the target demographic of the show?
fair question. This is such a new idea in a post-pandemic world; To go out and bring people together. It’s almost as if you start something and then you realize that you need to expand your universe. We had to first have an idea of this format and show that something like this can be done. Once it is well received, we will try to diversify, be it people with different sexual orientations or people living in different parts of the country. The idea will always be to be more inclusive. If we get a second season, we will definitely have a diverse representation on the show.
After interacting with women who use online dating apps, what do you think women face while using them?
It is like a rite of passage. If you use online dating apps, it’s a mixed bag of experiences. More than problems, I think people have different experiences; Some make good stories and some make funny stories. I think everyone has a different idea about dating. One problem I’ve seen is dating during a pandemic. People could not see each other, and it was especially difficult for single people to form any meaningful relationships.
Online apps helped, but with things opening up now, that’s starting to change. I feel like I can’t generalize this. He said, “I don’t like men who post shirtless pictures!” “When I am a South Indian and I meet North Indians, people have a certain view of me.” Every person I meet has completely different expectations when it comes to dating and my own unique problems.
You’re trying to create a safe space for women to feel comfortable and talk about their dating lives through this show. Would you like to elaborate on this?
I think a certain place is not considered safe for fear of judgment. If someone says they don’t like a certain thing about men, you can also argue that they don’t like the same thing about you. I don’t think it made it to the show, but someone made a very crappy statement about how they don’t like “Lokhandwala-model-type boys” and we laughed saying they haven’t done anything to you. This is prejudice to you.
Sara Ali Khan also appeared in an episode of ‘Swipe Ride’
Don’t be afraid to make a statement in a safe place; Basically the freedom to say what you want, but also the ability to listen and reflect on the counter-opinion. I don’t want safe spaces to turn into echo rooms; There should always be a healthy discussion.
Since then swipe ride Trying to keep women at the center of dating, can you talk about how dating has changed in India in recent years, and how it has affected women’s agency?
Women certainly have more agency today. A decade ago, we never had the opportunity to try and see our options! Dating apps today eschew the idea that women should be approached. We have always been led to believe that women do not make the first move. We have seen the popular media insist on this, and even if women took the first step, they were portrayed unfairly. However, with dating apps on the scene, I think women can take the first step, and claim their power in a way.
But at the same time, we need to accept that this is not the reality for many women in India. Real-life power relationships seep into these apps. You can empower women with tools to help them stay safe. If someone is crossing the border, you can report that person. These devices are in some ways an attempt to level the playing field.
If you could meet your 20-year-old using apps to navigate his dating life, what would be your advice?
Oh friend! (laughs) I’ve never had to be on a dating app. I really know very little about these; I think that’s why being a host is exciting, because it’s just me living through people using the app and asking them all kinds of questions.
As someone with no body image, I have no idea how I would handle rejection on these apps. Not only do you have agency to be rejected, you will also be rejected. I find that once you do this enough times, you will hopefully develop a thicker skin. My advice to him would probably be to take it easy.
Do you have the best/worst dating story?
My best story is with my current partner! He asked me to go out with him on five dates while he was following me, and call after those five dates to see if we should be together romantically. My worst is when someone ghosted me after meeting me twice. When you are not closed, you start thinking too much… and it reaches you.
Any future projects you are working on?
There are so many things I’m working on that I can’t reveal. But I definitely. want to do second season of swipe ride, We’ve had some great conversations here and I’ve seen people talking about them online. With the second season, we will also get a chance to diversify the show and include people from all walks of life.
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