Among the seven single people who stood out in Netflix’s 2020 docu series Indian Matchmaking was 35-year-old Houston-based attorney Aparna Shewakramani. Her opinions about the men she went on arranged dates with, what she expected from a life partner, and what she liked and disliked in general, made her the most popular cast member on the show. Shewakramani hates run-of-the-mill comedy, beach vacations and children at weddings. Her blunt honesty didn’t go down well with netizens; she was written off as the snob. 

This, until a new wave of support came her way from women who started the ‘Be Like Aparna’ trend. This translated into owning who you are and knowing what you want from life. This was important for Shewakramani, who thought the show had oversimplified her into a stereotype: she, the villain, her suitors, the victims.