Match Point

“My film is not about the archetypal father forcing his child to marry someone. The film uses humour to explore why educated,independent and well-travelled urban Indians — who have the freedom and privilege to wait for love — are choosing arranged marriages instead,” says Gera about What’s Love Got To Do With It.

The humour in the film,which she refers to as a “fundoc”,comes mostly from the characters themselves,says Gera. “People say the funniest things in the film,funnier than I could ever write. Because it is such a personal subject,laughter is a way for them to deal with the awkwardness,” she says. Under the humour,the 84-minute film reveals a lot about how Indians go about making matches. “Marriages tell you a lot about a society and what values it holds dear. They give you a glimpse of the dynamics in gender,caste,finances and families,” she says.

Gera herself has had her own internal struggles in deciding to marry. After her first marriage (for love) didn’t work out,she was hesitant to marry again even though she had been with her French partner Brice Poisson (also the cameraman for the film) for six years. “It took us both some time to trust our feelings and I’m so glad that we did,rather than listening to people who said our backgrounds were too different,” she says.

She enjoys the way viewers react to her film,inevitably discussing what they think of marriage. She says,“People have been very honest and intimate in discussing their lives,relationships and loves. Marriage is such a central part of life,it makes you dwell on the bigger picture as well.”