The mechanics of arranged marriages in India are explored by filmmakers Sarita Khurana and Smriti Mundhra in this documentary that focuses on three single women facing societal pressure to wed. Ritu is sophisticated and well-educated, with a successful career in Mumbai, but she agrees to marry under pressure from her mother Seema. Amrita enjoys a freewheeling lifestyle in Delhi but consents to wed—in spite of the fact that the match will force her to move to a remote area—because her intended will allow her to continue to work outside the home. Thirty-year-old Dipti, on the other hand, is desperate to find a husband, working with her parents to locate a plausible candidate through all available means—scouring newspaper advertisements and attending events where men present themselves for interviews. After numerous failed attempts leave her in a state of virtual depression, she does succeed. A Suitable Girl details the peculiarities involved in selecting a mate—including the comparison of horoscopes to assess compatibility—and emphasizes the fact that financial considerations factor heavily in negotiations (all three women come from reasonably well-to-do families). But the overall emphasis here is on the human costs that traditional marriages continue to have on Indian women, since most will assume a subservient place in the husband’s family, losing whatever freedom they had previously enjoyed. So despite the festive appearance of the wedding scenes at the close, all carry a somber undertone. An insightful portrait of a persistent custom in Indian culture, this is recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)
A Suitable Girl
(2017) 94 min. DVD: $30 ($125 w/PPR): public libraries; $295 w/PPR: colleges & universities. DRA. Collective Eye Films. Closed captioned. Volume 33, Issue 4
A Suitable Girl
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