for indian wedding race 1 hour documentary

STUDY GUIDEFOR INDIAN WEDDING RACE 1 HOUR DOCUMENTARY

1 Study Guide Indian Wedding Race ©360 Degree Films

Sally Ingleton 360 Degree Films PO Box 418 Brunswick 3056 VICTORIA ProducerE:[email protected]: +61 3 8669 0540 M: + 61 418 530 550 www.360degreefilms.com.au

A Study Guide by Sally Ingleton, 360 Degree Films

Suitability: Highly recommended for Years 10–12 cross-curriculum studyYearOfProduction:2015Duration:1x48minutesISAN: 0000-0004-1471-0000-6-0000-0000-J

CONTENTS

1. Introduction

2. Synopsis

3. Credits

4. Theparticipants

5. Summaryofeducationalsuitability

6. Discussionstarters a) Before viewing b)Viewingquestions c)Respondingtothefilm

7. ClassroomActivities

8. OnlineResources


STUDY GUIDE INDIAN WEDDING RACE

1. INTRODUCTION

29-year-oldDalvinderandTarunareeachlookingforlove.BothmustbalancethewishesoftheirtraditionalIndianparentswiththeirowndesireforalove-marriagebutiftheydon’tgetmarriedby30theyfeartheywillbeseenasdamagedgoodsandbringshametotheirfamilies.Soeachembarksonafranticjourneythattakesthemthroughthepopularonlinedatingworld,toastrologers,matchmakersaswellasdownthepathofarrangedmarriage.INDIANWEDDINGRACEoffersuniqueaccesstotheworldofAustralia’sIndiancommunityasitexploreswithpathosandhumourthepressuresyoungpeoplefaceastheyracetomakeittothetempleontime.

2. SYNOPSIS

MelbournehasbyfarthelargestcommunityofyoungIndiansinAustralia.Inadecademorethanonehundredthousandhavearrivedtostudy,findworkand,hopefully,startanewlife.

Butnotallarenewarrivals.29-year-oldDalvindergrewupinAustraliawithtraditionalSikhparents.She’snowunderpressuretogetmarriedbeforesheturns30.

“In the Indian community, when you reach your late 20s, everyone’s like ‘Oh, when are you getting married? When’s your daughter getting married? When’s your sister getting married’ … it’s like chicken going off.”

Inordertopleaseherdadsheopensanaccountwiththeworld’slargestmatrimonialwebsite,Shaadi.com.Afteramonthofdatingsuitorsthatfailtoimpress,shetakesmattersintoherownhandsandlooksforapartneronTinder,themuch-malignedphoneappwithareputationforfosteringone-night-stands.Thereshe meets 29-year-old tradesman Shamsher–whoisnotthesortofmanshewaslookingforatall.Infacthe’satraditionalSikhandratherlikeherownfather.

Tarunisalso29andgrewupinamiddleclassHindufamilyinIndia.He’sbeeninMelbournefor10yearsnow,andhasagoodjobinfinance.Butsomething’smissing:He’slonely,andhisparentsbackhomeareurginghimtomarry,orhewillbringshameonthefamily.

“I have to get married. If I do not get married by 30, I will be considered as damaged goods.”

SoTarunembarksonarollercoasterjourneyofspeeddating,onlinesearches,andevenatriptoIndiainthehopeoffindinghisperfectmatch.Butashis30thbirthdaylooms,herealiseshecan’tdoitalone–hemustturntohisdadforhelp.

ForDalvinderandTarun,thesearchforloveisfraughtwithdifficultyastheytrytobalancetheexpectationsandbeliefsoftheirIndian-bornparents,whoareincreasinglyatoddswiththevaluesofAustralia,withtheirownhopesanddreams.Surprisingly,arrangedmarriageremainsthepreferenceformanyyoungIndianswhoarenowreturningtothetried-and-truemethodsofthepast,despitelivinginacultureobsessedwithromanticlove.Butaddthestressofclassandcastebarriers–andtheinevitableflutteringheart–andit’sclearthepathto‘loveandmarriage’isnotwithouttwistsandturns.

Indian Wedding RacefollowsthetrialsandtribulationsofthesetwoyoungIndiansintheirsearchforlove.There’ssuretobebrokenheartsandhigh-dramaaseachnavigatestheirownpathtotheirdream‘big,fatIndianwedding’.


3. CREDITS

Producer - Sally Ingleton

SallyIngleton’scompany,360DegreeFilms,worksacrossmanygenres,includingwildlife,environment,science,history,artsandpeople-basedstories.Sallyhasproducedmorethan40hoursofawardwinningdocumentaryprogrammingforbroadcastersallovertheworldincludingtheBBC,NationalGeographicTelevision,PBSintheUSandABCinAustralia.Someofhercreditsinclude:THEGREATAUSTRALIANFLY,ACIDOCEAN,DEVILISLAND,PENGUINISLAND,SEEDHUNTER,TWOMUMSANDADAD,TIBET:MURDERINTHESNOW.

Director - Sean Cousins

SEANCOUSINShasworkedinfactualTVanddocumentaryproductionfor20yearsinawidevarietyofroles.Hehasbeenaseriesproducer,postproducer,director,writeranddevelopmentproducerforseveralproductioncompaniesandhasproducedhighqualityandawardwinningcontentforbroadcasterssuchastheABC,SBS,NationalGeographic,AnimalPlanet,Fox8,NetworkTenandothers.Sean’srecentcreditsincludeseriesproducingtheASTRAawardwinningTONYROBINSONTIMEWALKSandTONYROBINSONDOWNUNDERfortheHistoryChannel.

Editor - Tony Stevens

TonyStevensisoneofAustralia’smostsought-aftereditorswithmorethan30yearsexperiencecuttingmusicclips,shortfilms,TVdrama,documentaryandfeatures.


Producer Sally Ingleton and Director Sean Cousins filming at Holi Festival

4. PARTICIPANTS

Dalvinder, 29 years old

Dressed in her best sari at the temple,DalvinderlooksasifshehasonlyjustarrivedfromthePunjab.Infact,shegrewupinthemiddle class suburb of Balwyn withherSikhparents.Likemanychildren of immigrants, she jugglesbeingidentifiedbothasanAussiebutalsoasanIndian.She’sdatedAussieblokesandalwaysimaginedshe’dmarryone.Butherdadhasotherideas.HeisurginghertofollowtraditionandmarryaSikh.Now29yearsold, Dalvinder knows that if she isnotmarriedby30,peoplewillthinksomethingiswrongwithher.Sowiththehelpofherdadsheembarksonamoderndayjourneytofindahusband.

Tarun, 29 years old

UnlikeDalvinder,TarunlefthisfamilyinIndiaandcametoAustraliaalone.He’sbeenliving in the outer suburbs of Melbourne fortenyearsandhasagoodjobattheCommonwealthBank.Butsomethingismissing.He’slonelyandfeelshislifewouldbecompleteifhewasmarried.Heissuccumbingtofamilypressureandalso believes he must be married by 30; otherwisehewillbe‘damagedgoods’.Hecravesindependence,butalsohisfather’sapproval.Hewantstomarryforlove,butifthatfailshe’swillingtoacceptanarrangedmarriage.Butwhowillaccepthim?AwealthyheiressfromIndia?Awomanfromaspeeddatingnight?Amatchfromanonlinedatesite?Finding‘theone’isnotsoeasyforTarun.SoonafterfilmingwascompletedTarun’sDadfoundhissonawife.TarunandManishawillmarryinIndia,April2016.

Shamsher, 29 years old

Shamsher has lived in Australiafor8years.HisparentsaretraditionalSikhs and also live in the Punjab.Shamsherworksas a tradesman and like many Indian Aussies lives in the new suburbs of Melbourne’sWest.Also29heknowsit’stimetogetmarriedandsettledown.Hetriesthedatingappstoseeifhecanfindthegirlofhisdreams.


5. SUMMARY OF EDUCATIONAL SUITABILITY

Level:Mostsuitableformiddleanduppersecondarystudents(Years10-12)foracrosscurriculumstudy.CouldalsobeadaptedforuseinSeniorSecondaryEnglish,SocialStudies,andMulticulturalstudies.

NationalCurriculumLearningAreasandStrands:

English:Language/Literature/LiteracyArts: Media ArtsHumanitiesandSocialScienceCross-curriculumlinks:Multiculturalism

6. DISCUSSION STARTERS

6a. BEFORE VIEWING

• Asaclassdiscusswhatyouknowabout Australia’sIndiancommunity• VisitanIndianTempleorMosque• ResearchthesubjectoftraditionalHindu,Sikhand Muslim weddings in India• ResearchthesubjectofarrangedmarriageinIndia• VisitasuburbwherethereareIndianshopsandtalktothe shopkeepersaboutthesubjectofweddingsandmarriage


6b. VIEWING QUESTIONS

1. Whatisthetopiconeveryone’slips?2. WheredidDalvindergrowup?3. WhereareDalvinder’sparentsfromandwhatreligiondo theyfollow?4. HowlonghasTarunbeenlivinginAustralia?5. Wheredoesheliveandwhattypeofjobdoeshedo?6. WhatqualitiesisTarunlookingforinawife?7. WhattypeofmanisDalvinderdeterminednottomarry?8. WhatdoesDalvinder’sdadsuggestshedoestofinda husband?9. Whatisshaadi.com?10. WhatdoesaturbansymboliseforSikhpeople?11. Whattypeofson-in-lawdoesDalvinder’sdadwant?12. WheredoesTarunfirstlooktofindapartner?13. WhenDalvinder’s30daysisuponshaadi.comwhatdoesshe donext?14. WhatisthemajorhurdleforTarunwiththeprofileson shaadi.com?15. WhatisShamsher’soccupation?16. WhatisthebestthingDalvinder’sMumseesinShamsher?17. WhatdoesDalvinder’sDadthinkofShamsher?18. WhenTarunhasnoluckonthedatingsiteswhomdoeshego andsee?19. WhodoesTarunaskforhelpinfindingawife?20. WheredoesShamsherproposetoDalvinder?21. HowlongdoesDalvinderhavetoplanherwedding?22. WhydoDalvinderandTarungotoIndia?23. Whatiswrongwiththeweddingstationary?24. WhatdoesTarun’sdadofferhimtostayinIndia?25. WhydoesPoojarejectTarun?26. Name3thingsthathappenatPunjabiweddings.27. WhatisthesymbolismoftheJaagonight?28. WhyisDalvinder’sdadupsetatherwedding?29. WhyisDalvinderupsetatherownwedding?30. WhatdoesTarundecideattheendofthefilm?


6c. RESPONDING TO THE FILM

Individual

1.Dalvindersays:In the Indian community, when you reach your late 20s, everyone’s sort of like ‘Oh, when are you getting married? When’s your daughter getting married? When’s your sister getting married?’ you know, it’s like … chicken going off.

Describeyourownfamily’sattitudetomarriage.

2.Most Indian kids will tell you this, parents just can’t contain themselves. Like they just want to play cupid. DALVINDER

I have to get married. If I do not get married by 30, I will be considered as damaged goods. TARUN

Whataboutyourownparents.Askthemwhattypeofboyorgirltheywouldlikeyoutomeetandmarry?Doesitmattertothemifyougetmarried?Askthemforalistofqualitiestheywouldliketoseeinyourfuturehusbandorwife.

3.AfterDalvinder’sargumentwiththeIndianshopkeepershesays:

I grew up in Australia and people will ask me ‘where are you from’ and I’ll say ‘I’m from Australia’ and they’ll be like, ‘No, like, your background, like where are you from?’ So I’m like, ‘I’m Indian’, and then I come to India and everybody asks me the exact same thing like, ‘where are you from?’ And I think that’s the most hurtful for me is that I kind of don’t belong there, but then I don’t belong here.

Writeaboutourownbackground.Wherewereyourparentsandgrandparentsborn?DoyouidentifywithanothercultureordoyouseeyourselfasAustralian?WhatdoesitmeantoyoutobeanAustralian?

4.She has to be honest. She has to be beautiful. She has to be progressive and she has to love me back! TARUN

Writealistoftheattributesyouwouldideallyvalueinapartner.


it’s like … chicken going off they just want to play cupid I kind of don’tbelongthere, but thenIdon’tbelong here If I do not get married by 30, I will be considered as damaged goods She has to be beautiful


7. CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES

DividetheclassintoteamsandexplorethesubjectofIndianMarriageinbothIndiaandAustralia.

Herearesometopics:

1. InvestigatewhatonlinedatingsitesarepopularwithIndian Australians.Describesomeoftheprofiles.

2. Find3peoplewhoaregettinganarrangedmarriageandwriteastoryabouttheir experience.

3. WheredoIndiansgetmarriedinAustralia?Whoorganisesthem?Whatritualshappen?

4. FindthelocalIndiancommunitynewspaper(e.g.IndoTimes)andinterviewtheeditorabouttheir matrimonialadvertising.Select5adsandcontactthepeoplewhohaveplacedtheadsandwriteup theirstories.

5. VisitPunjabicommunityRadioHaanjiorsimilarcommunityradiostations,whichhaveIndian programsandconductatalkbackonIndianMarriage.

6. WriteanessayonMelbourne’syoungIndiancommunityandtheirchoiceswhenitcomestofinding loveandmarriage.

7. Explorethesubjectofloveandmarriageinothercultureswitheachteamtakingadifferentculture e.g.Iranian,Somali,Vietnamese,Chinese.Howdothesedifferentculturescomparewhenitcomes tobeliefsaroundloveandmarriage?

8. ONLINE RESOURCES

WebLinks

www.shaadi.com-Indiandatingwebsite

www.indotimes.com.au-FirstPunjabinewspaperinAustralia.Hasmatrimonialads.

www.haanji.com.au-RadioHaanji.Hindi-PunjabicommunityRadioStationMelbourne1674AM.

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