In her new podcast ‘Is Romance Lifeless?’ produced by Bumble, comic Kaneez Surka dissects how our concepts of courtship have advanced
In one of many funnier moments of Kaneez Surka’s new podcast, Is Romance Lifeless, the improv comic considers altering her profession to a global spy. “I can discover out a lot with so little data,” she says. “Who’s that hottie you ran into whereas shopping for baingan [brinjal]? Is that man ghosting you or actually doing a social detox?” — Kaneez masi could have the solutions.
The episode, titled ‘Social media and romance’, wherein she dissects if social media takes the magic and thriller out of relationship, is the primary on this collection produced by Bumble. The podcast (which will be streamed in all platforms) sees Kaneez on a quest to know the concept of romance by way of music, meals, movies, journey and books. Company from completely different walks of life, embody singers Vishal Dadlani and Nikhil D’Souza, cooks Ranveer Brar and Pooja Dhingra, filmmaker Imtiaz Ali, costume designer Neeta Lulla and extra.
So, what’s the end result? Is romance lifeless? Kaneez solutions with fun, “You understand, I personally did consider that. Possibly not lifeless maybe, simply that we don’t have time for it. However the extra I spoke to individuals, the extra I realised that it’s not lifeless, it has simply advanced.”
For over 50 years now, the westernised thought of romance — candies, flowers, violins — has elbowed its means into our creativeness. “My understanding of romance had been the business model we’ve seen in popular culture,” she says, including that this made her pit love towards romance. “After over 20 interviews, I understood that there’s a lot extra to it.”
The podcast is split into eight episodes of music; meals; marriage ceremony; journey; movie, TV and literature; social media; and thoughts, coronary heart and physique. Within the movie part, for example, Kaneez speaks to Imtiaz Ali, Anupama Chopra and Anuja Chauhan about how chemistry is constructed between characters, what the widespread tropes are and probably the most iconic {couples}. The podcast additionally will get on board neurologists like Dr Siddharth Warrier to discover the organic and psychological facets of falling in love.
“Everybody experiences romance otherwise,” says Kaneez, including, that she particularly cherished observing how romantic individuals can get about their ardour too. “You must hear Ranveer Brar describing his most romantic meal. ‘A dollop of ghee, a drizzle of chilli oil and crushed papadam’. I used to be like oh my God how do you make khichdi so sensual!”
However, with the straightforward availability of choices on relationship apps turning into better than ever, will we worth individuals lesser? Have our expectations from our companions modified?
“In one of many interviews, I did query if our fast-paced lifetime of assembly so many new individuals was why romance was dying a bit of bit. However as soon as it will get identified to you, you perceive that no, it’s evolving for us to have extra choices. It’s the identical means not simply with love, but in addition our careers; the issues we purchase. That’s simply the tempo of the entire world, I’m not saying it’s a superb or a nasty factor, however when everybody’s doing it, it turns into the tradition,” she says.
As for our expectations, Kaneez believes they’re extra a results of age. “Marriage for example, is just not essential anymore for me. Like, I’m watching Tidying Up with Marie Kondo proper now and I believe I would like a companion who can reside a minimalist life and let go of issues. I take into consideration sensible compatibility greater than the rest now.”
For now, the comic has taken to relationship by way of apps, and is horrified on the widespread phenomenon of ‘ghosting’. Having skilled it as soon as, she says, “I do know I sound like a whole relationship noob, however the place are your manners! All you’ll want to do is say ‘I don’t suppose that is going anyplace. I actually loved chatting with you, however I believe it’s time for me to maneuver on, all the most effective together with your life.’”
Coming to think about it, an auto-fill possibility with that very textual content wouldn’t be unhealthy. Is Bumble listening?