A living room with a stool strategically placed in the middle. This frame from the movie Sthal (A Match) needs no translation to most women in the country, even if you haven’t sat on one yourself. The movie is centred around the character of Savita Wandhare, whose life is derailed when her parents begin the kande-pohe programme—aka meeting the girl for marriage—for her, that year.

The groom-to-be is sitting at the other end of the living room, flanked by his friends as well as other male family members forming a semi-circle around the young UPSC aspirant, who is giving one of the important examinations of her life. This question paper consists of: “What’s your name? What’s your mama’s (maternal uncle) name? What’s your height? What are your likes and dislikes?”