The reunion episode of the Netflix reality show Love Is Blind: UK has British viewers in a chokehold over the end of marriage between Pakistan-origin Kal Pasha and Indian-origin Sarover Kaur Aujla.
The episode began with a charming video montage that captured some happy moments of Kal and Sarover, including the one where the two wore matching pyjamas on Christmas. But when host Matt Willis asked, “How’s the first year of married life been?” Sarover stunned everyone with her response: “What married life?”.
Ever since the episode dropped, there has been a collective meltdown online over the dissolution of what looked like the perfect cross-cultural match on reality TV. A post shared by the official Instagram handle of Netflix UK on the jaw-dropping reveal has an outpouring of emotions from viewers.
The post has over 15,100 likes and more than 700 comments.
Women came out strongly in support of Sarover and bashed Kal for his diffident attitude.
“He never should’ve gone on the show with an attitude like that. If you’re afraid of long term commitment, go deal with that yourself first instead of deep-diving into a marriage and wasting someone’s life,” wrote one user.
Another said, “Oh that was so hard to watch.”
Those who had not watched the episode were requesting spoilers and information in the comments section. And good samaritans obliged. It was a moment of solidarity, created by fans who were first rooting for Kal and Sarover and now saying, “We knew something was off about Kal”.
‘The perfect couple’
The format of Love is Blind revolves around men and women who ditch dating apps to enter the show, hoping to find a life partner. Unlike apps, where the connection begins by judging each other’s physical appearance, the show focuses on finding emotional connection first.
In 11 episodes, participants ‘date’ through walls, even deciding whether they want to drop to one knee to propose to the person sitting across the wall, proving that love is indeed blind.
Kal did propose to Sarover, after a discussion on India-Pakistan rivalry, and also turned up for the ‘face reveal’ after the blind courtship in a black sherwani. It was nothing short of perfect, and British viewers, along with the Indian and Pakistan diaspora, were rooting for them.
But the reunion episode that dropped on Monday night dashed all hopes.
Love turned out to be blindsiding, instead of being blind.
Also read: With Param Sundari, the North-South divide is back
A throwback
The live audience was flabbergasted, as Sarover narrated that Kal walked out of the marriage within three months of their wedding where he had recited perfect vows. There are now memes and edits of the reunion episode, which had only one pair left that was still together after a year of the show’s end. Kal-Sarover were fan favourites and their ugly end almost ruined love collectively for everyone.
It was a throwback to when in the 2022 US version of the show, Indian-American Deepti Vempati had said that she was choosing herself at the altar before dumping her then-fiance Abhishek “Shake” Chatterjee.
There were also striking similarities between the way Abhishek and Kal spoke of dating only blondes, and the way their faces were weirdly devoid of emotion when they were around the women they proposed.
But the stakes were higher in this season, with India and Pakistan almost getting a fairytale wedding, that too in the land of the coloniser. But it was not meant to be, and now, criticising Kal and commenting on how Sarover deserves better are the only outlets for invested viewers.
Views are personal.
(Edited by Aamaan Alam Khan)