YAHOO NEWS - June 7 -- Shaadi uses a combination of prime-time TV and the Internet to shake up a conservative Muslim culture in which family networks usually decide who weds whom. Regular dating is rare in Pakistan. A prospective bride often endures scrutiny by many suitors before finding a husband. Each weekly program showcases two men and one woman, introduced in a prerecorded video presentation showing their family, friends and work life. Once on the set, they are gently questioned by the hosts on their preferences for a mate. That information is fed into a computer database of 100,000 singles. They are presented with a list of possible matches to choose from, and, on the show, they phone the ones that most catch their eye, while viewers listen in.
Mark Brooks: A network of sites is offered in 15 Indian languages by Bharat Matrimony, the leader in Southern India.
