Saagar Kote
Arranged marriages have historically been a part of several cultures. While marriage is a complex sociocultural phenomenon, arranged marriages are a formal, often rigid process of planning a union between two strangers. Even in the 21st century, arranged marriages play a crucial role in the social structures of countries across the world. Such unions often present a combination of challenges and opportunities that test the married couple.
On the one hand, there is the chance to befriend and spend time with a relatively unknown person, and on the other, we see unexpected consequences, psychological stress, and an element of uncertainty when dealing with a stranger in intimate settings. Cinema and television have featured storylines about arranged marriages involving diverse characters. The positives and negatives of the complex social practice find representation in the visual medium. In this list, we bring you movies and shows streaming on Netflix that explore the subject of arranged marriage.
18. Shaandaar (2015)
Directed by Vikas Bahl, ‘Shaandaar’ centers on the life of Jagjinder Joginder (Shahid Kapoor), a wedding planner hired to manage the extravagant London destination wedding of Isha Arora (Sanah Kapur), the daughter of businessman Bipin Arora (Pankaj Kapur). As Jagjinder navigates the dysfunctional Arora family, Isha is pressured by her scheming grandmother into marrying a wealthy man. Meanwhile, Bipin’s adopted daughter, Alia Arora (Alia Bhatt), who struggles with insomnia and personal insecurities, begins to form a connection with Jagjinder. The situation quickly descends into confusion as romantic feelings develop between Alia and Jagjinder. The Indian Hindi-language romantic comedy is an entertaining and hilarious take on how arranged marriages and the people attending them get chaotic. You can watch the movie on Netflix.
17. Promised Hearts (2025)
Netflix’s ‘Promised Hearts’ or ‘Setetes Embun Cinta Niyala’ centers on the ups and downs in the life of Niyala (Beby Tsabina), a young doctor whose successful career is jeopardized by a family-arranged marriage. This unwanted union is forced upon her to settle her family’s debts, leaving her life in a state of insecurity and uncertainty. Along with this pain, Niyala must also witness her childhood love, Faiq (Deva Mahenra), marry another woman. Despite the chaos, this marriage may be the only salvation for her family and herself. As Niyala’s future hangs in the balance, all she needs is a glimpse of hope. Based on Habiburrahman El Shirazy’s eponymous novel, the engaging Indonesian romantic drama movie is a commentary on arranged marriage and destiny. The film is available here.
16. Honeymoonish (2024)
‘Honeymoonish’ or ‘Shahr zii aleasal’ is a Netflix rom-com that deals with the lives of Hamad Saleh (Mahmoud Boushahri) and Noor (Nour Al Ghandour). Hamad, the son of a wealthy businessman, is under pressure to marry and produce an heir soon to inherit his father’s fortune. Noor, a fitness instructor, is heartbroken after learning her boyfriend has married someone else while on a business trip, and is honeymooning in Lebanon.
Their friends conspire to set them up in an arranged marriage as Hamad needs a wife quickly, and Noor seeks an opportunity for revenge. Noor agrees to marry Hamad and go on a honeymoon in Lebanon. However, the biggest challenge for the two is to accept each other while pursuing their individual interests. Directed by Elie El Semaan, the Kuwaiti film exploring the complexities of an arranged marriage is streaming on Netflix.
15. Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania (2014)
Written and directed by Shashank Khaitan, ‘Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania’ focuses on the upcoming arranged marriage of the unconventional Kavya Pratap Singh (Alia Bhatt) to an NRI, Sidharth Shukla (Angad Bedi). While in Delhi for wedding dress shopping, Kavya encounters the charming, free-spirited Rakesh Kumar Sharma, AKA Humpty (Varun Dhawan), and unexpectedly falls in love with him. As Kavya and Humpty navigate their complicated secret romance, the former must contend with the potential impact it will have on her impending marriage and the emotional well-being of her father, Kamaljeet Pratap Singh (Ashutosh Rana). The Hindi-language rom-com showcases the chaos and drama of an Indian arranged marriage, while also featuring entertaining music and visuals. You may enjoy the Indian movie here.
14. Layla Majnun (2021)
Netflix’s ‘Layla Majnun’, directed by Monty Tiwa, explores the romantic trials and tribulations of Layla (Acha Septriasa), an Indonesian girl who gets the chance to teach at an institution in Azerbaijan. Before she leaves, she gets engaged to Ibnu Salam (Baim Wong) in an arranged marriage agreement. As she enjoys her new life in Azerbaijan, she falls in love with a modest boy named Samir/Qais/Majnun (Reza Rahadian). As Layla struggles to balance her love for Samir and her promise to marry Ibnu, she descends into chaos. The Indonesian romantic drama movie is a harrowing portrayal of arranged marriage and the way it challenges love. It is available on Netflix.
13. Jewish Matchmaking (2023)
‘Jewish Matchmaking’ is a Netflix reality show that focuses on the professional life of Aleeza Ben Shalom, a matchmaker and dating coach who travels across the US and Israel to help many Jewish individuals find romance and marriage. Aleeza not only deals with extremely specific expectations of her clients but also handles their insecurities and pain. We see clients demanding a specific body type, a love of pets, and passion. With the prospect of love and compatibility playing major roles in the decisions of single Jewish people, Aleeza’s role only gets more complicated. The unique show is culturally relevant within the realm of arranged marriage. The matchmaking happens here.
12. Indian Matchmaking (2020-)
Created by Smriti Mundhra, ‘Indian Matchmaking’ follows the efforts of matchmaker Sima Taparia as she handles the expectations of various Indian clients in this Netflix reality show. Sima travels to different places in the US and India and tries to help those clients who are in real need of matchmaking services to find a partner. As more clients go through the process, the complexities of finding love in the modern era unfold. Balancing Indian culture and the changing lifestyles and demands of her clients, Sima’s job is not as easy as it looks. The show also comments on the difficulties involved in the process of an arranged marriage in the Indian context. You can watch it on Netflix.
11. Dhoom Dhaam (2025)
Netflix’s ‘Dhoom Dhaam’ deals with the life of Veer Poddar (Pratik Gandhi), a shy man who struggles to converse with women. This makes his life more difficult when he enters into an arranged marriage with an outspoken woman named Koyal Chadha (Yami Gautam Dhar). As the two awkwardly prepare for their wedding night, a shocking turn of events turns their lives upside down. A group of thugs knocks on the door and demands to know where Charlie is.
Having no clue about who Charlie is, Veer and Koyal escape their room and go on the run. With people following them and Charlie’s identity remaining a mystery, Koyal and Veer must work together, despite the differences in their personalities, to survive the wild night and possibly find love. Directed by Rishab Seth, the Indian Hindi-language movie is a twisted and engrossing tale of love through arranged marriage, crime, and survival. The romantic action comedy film can be enjoyed here.
10. Wedding Season (2022)
In Netflix’s ‘Wedding Season,’ Asha (Pallavi Sharda), an Indian-American girl, relocates to New Jersey after a failed engagement. Worried that Asha will not be happy, her mother creates a dating profile for her. Simultaneously, Ravi’s (Suraj Sharma) parents do the same for him. Although their initial date is a failure, Asha and Ravi agree on a strategic fake relationship to endure the upcoming wedding season as pretend lovers. As they navigate the three months of social events, the two unexpectedly realize they share a genuine connection that may lead them to love. The premise of an arranged match, and the unexpected results it leads to, make the rom-com entertaining. Directed by Tom Dey, the film unfolds here.
9. Gatta Kusthi (2022)
‘Gatta Kusthi’ is an Indian Tamil-language movie that follows the experiences of Veera (Vishnu Vishal), a rough man with a sense of male ego and a penchant for fighting. He enters an arranged marriage with Keerthi (Aishwarya Lekshmi), believing she is soft-spoken and simple. However, Keerthi is an independent woman who also knows how to beat up thugs and fight her own battles. What follows is a complex relationship between the husband and wife as Veera hopes to win in a local wrestling match and Keerthi attempts to find her own status. The romantic sports comedy drama, written and directed by Chella Ayyavu, is an entertaining and unique take on the surprising outcomes of arranged marriage. It can be found on Netflix.
8. Meenakshi Sundareshwar (2021)
Directed by Vivek Soni, ‘Meenakshi Sundareshwar’ revolves around a young couple, Meenakshi (Sanya Malhotra) and Sundareshwar (Abhimanyu Dassani), who enter into an arranged marriage after their families agree on the union. Soon after their wedding, the newlyweds are forced into a long-distance marriage when Sundareshwar accepts a unique job opportunity in Bengaluru, open only to single men. This compels him to leave his hometown and pretend to be single. As the distance between the couple challenges them, they must find a way to make their marriage work, especially since their combined first names evoke the famous ‘Meenakshi Sundareshwar’ temple in Madurai, and hold special religious significance. The Indian Hindi-language film is a special tale of unlikely love and fate in an arranged marriage. You can enjoy the Netflix rom-com here.
7. Ali’s Wedding (2017)
‘Ali’s Wedding,’ an Australian rom-com helmed by Jeffrey Walker, features the struggles of Ali Albasri (Osamah Sami), the son of a Muslim cleric, grappling with a moral dilemma. He is torn between upholding his familial obligation to an arranged marriage and pursuing his genuine love for Dianne Mohsen (Helana Sawires), an Australian-born Lebanese woman. Ali, a musically gifted individual, has a deep desire to meet his community’s expectation of becoming a doctor and earn his father’s approval. Unable to achieve the required grades, he resorts to lying about his academic progress. This desperate attempt to satisfy expectations spirals out of control, resulting in chaos. The film explores the politics of an arranged marriage and its potential impact on individual liberty. You can watch it on Netflix.
6. Badhaai Do (2022)
Helmed by Harshavardhan Kulkarni, ‘Badhaai Do’ is a comedy-drama movie that revolves around the trials and tribulations of Shardul Thakur (Rajkummar Rao), a police officer in Dehradun. He is a gay man who keeps his sexual identity a secret, fearing social bias and negativity. Shardul crosses paths with Suman Singh (Bhumi Pednekar), who is a teacher in town, and also hides the truth of her being a lesbian woman. Empathizing with each other’s secret lives, Shardul and Suman enter into an arranged marriage of convenience, hoping to pursue love with others while pretending to be a committed couple. However, this arrangement soon leads to unexpected consequences. The Indian Hindi-language is a poignant commentary on identity, arranged marriage, happiness, and liberty. The story unfolds here.
5. Love Per Square Foot (2018)
Netflix’s ‘Love per Square Foot’ is an Indian Hindi-language rom-com that focuses on the unique lives of Sanjay Kumar Chaturvedi (Vicky Kaushal) and Kareena D’Souza (Angira Dhar), both of whom work at the same bank. The two of them, each facing their own issues, realize that privacy and owning one’s own living space are the ultimate tools for happiness. When Sanjay discovers a joint housing program, he proposes that Kareena apply with him.
Because the apartment is available only to married couples, Sanjay and Kareena enter into an agreement of convenience to pose as an engaged couple, solely to secure the house. This purely transactional arranged engagement subsequently presents unexpected challenges for both of them as they are torn between materialistic and emotional definitions of joy. Directed by Anand Tiwari, the engrossing story of arranged marriage, materialistic emptiness, and the emotional value of love is streaming on Netflix.
4. Infamy (2023)
Created by Anna Maliszewska, ‘Infamy’ or ‘Infamia’ is an account of the difficulties faced by a teenage Romani girl, Gita Burano (Zofia Jastrzębska), who dreams of a career in hip-hop. Gita and her family return to Poland after years spent abroad. In a shocking turn of events, Gita is married off to a criminal family to settle her father’s debts, pushing her to fight for the right to live and love on her own terms. Struggling to reconcile her Romani heritage with her individual aspirations, she seeks her identity while also handling the troubles of her teenage soul. The Netflix Polish drama show is a haunting take on female liberation, forced arranged marriage, and the courage to fight impossible odds. It can be enjoyed here.
3. Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (2008)
‘Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi’ sheds light on the romantic trials of Surinder Sahni AKA Suri (Shah Rukh Khan), an unassuming man who is an employee of Punjab’s electricity supply board. He takes a liking to Taani Gupta (Anushka Sharma) and marries her through an arranged marriage agreement, which happens in the wake of an unfortunate incident in Taani’s life. As a married couple, Suri and Taani have no love for each other, which causes immense sadness for both of them. Suri takes a leap of faith and occasionally pretends to be Raj Kapoor, a stylish dancer, in hopes of winning Taani’s love. With Taani unaware that Suri and Raj are the same person, the marriage becomes uniquely complex. The Indian Hindi-language rom-com is a layered and musical take on unlikely love and arranged marriage. Written and directed by Aditya Chopra, it is available on Netflix.
2. Dum Laga Ke Haisha (2015)
Directed by Sharat Katariya, ‘Dum Laga Ke Haisha’ is the tale of a seemingly odd arranged marriage between two very different individuals in the 1990s. Shy music-shop owner Prem Prakash Tiwari (Ayushmann Khurrana), who unwillingly marries Sandhya Verma (Bhumi Pednekar), a confident teacher who is not the slim girl he dreamt of. Prem faces disappointment and carelessly ignores Sandhya because she is overweight. However, Sandhya harbors love for him.
Amid their struggles and family pressure, the mismatched couple must participate in a race in which the husband must carry his wife. As Prem faces this new challenge, not only must he find the physical strength to overcome it, but he must also question his own biases and narrow beauty standards that shield him from his wife’s love. The Indian Hindi-language movie is a commentary on emotional bonding, arranged marriage, and intimacy. The romantic drama unfolds here.
1. Laapataa Ladies (2023)
‘Laapataa Ladies’ or ‘Lost Ladies’ is an Indian Hindi-language film that tells a unique story of confusion set in 2001. Directed by Kiran Rao, the comedy-drama follows the life of Deepak Kumar (Sparsh Shrivastava), a rural Indian man who gets into an arranged marriage with a kind-hearted girl named Phool Kumari (Nitanshi Goel). During a train ride home after the marriage, Deepak accidentally takes home Pushpa Rani (Pratibha Ranta), whose face is covered and is dressed almost identically to Phool, like several other brides on the train.
As Phool reaches an unexpected place, Pushpa gets stuck with Deepak and his family at their ancestral home, and the situation becomes chaotic. Deepak desperately tries to find Phool, while Pushpa has her own secrets. The narrative is a grounded, layered, and meaningful take on female liberation, women’s rights, masculine gaze, and the social realities of arranged marriage. You may enjoy it on Netflix.
Read More: Best Wedding and Marriage Movies on Netflix
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