Zee TV’s ‘Made-to-Order Brides’ offer creates havoc on Twitter

Twitter was in a volatile mood recently, thanks to Zee TV’s new website – mysonikudi.com – which promised ‘Made-to-Order’ brides. 

Zee TV partnered with actor Gul Panag to start a counter narrative – #ChangeHerNot – and many tweeple responded to it, demanding that Zee TV pulled down the website as it was misogynist. Even as many identified the flaws of this website, Zee TV said that the website attracted thousands of registrations within hours of the campaign going live.  

Deepak Rajadhyaksha, Deputy Business Head, Zee TV, lamented that it was sadly true that many men did register on the website. The website was created by Zee TV’s digital agency, Big Trunk. 

Rajadhyaksha further explained, “MySoniKudi was aimed at eliciting precisely the kind of strong reactions that it has evoked. The sheer absurdity of commoditising brides is what one wanted to highlight through this initiative and we’re thankful to Gul Panag for having joined us in raising our voice. So, while the website isn’t real, the issue is. It is sad that to be marriageable, a woman has to be a certain way. From gharelu to sanskaari, fair-skinned to no western clothes, no-career to a great pay package, there are all kinds of customisations expected, making bride-grooming schools that get young women to fit specific moulds a reality. We wanted people to experience the starkness of this harsh reality through MySoniKudi.com and have the nation stand up in unison and say #ChangeHerNot. In fact, our very next fiction offering, ‘Kaleerein’, tackles this subject head-on, showcasing the journey of Meera, a small-town bride who refuses to bow down to the diktats of bride-grooming and celebrates her individuality. Through her example, the idea is to help Indian women free themselves from the mould of a stereotypical bride, earning them the right to find a groom who is willing to accept them the way they are.” 

The banner image on Zee TV Twitter handle suggests that the #ChangeHerNot campaign is related to the channel’s upcoming new show – ‘Kaleeren’ – which premieres on February 5, 2018. Rajadhyaksha chose not to comment on how Zee TV plans to further develop this campaign. He simply said, “Stay tuned!”