Community & Culture

Wicked Parody of Indian Matrimonial Ad, Sung to “Call Me Maybe”

The Internet has caught on to something that a few final-year students from IIT Madras have created.  Asmita Ghosh and Anukripa Carolina Elango from the Humanities and Social Sciences Department have put together a brilliant parody of Carly Rae Jepsen’s chartbusting song, ‘Call Me Maybe’.

Yet, it isn’t just any other parody. In true-blue social sciences style, the video titled ‘Be Our Pondati’ is a satirical take on the quintessentially sexist classifieds that continue to appear in the matrimonial ad section of Indian newspapers.  (Pondati is wife in Tamil.)  The video was Asmita and Anukripa’s entry into the Sir Mix-A-Lot song parody contest for Saahitya, IIT Madras’ literary festival.

Call Me Maybe has garnered over 800 million views on YouTube already, in just over four years.  If you were stranded on a different planet and didn’t catch the song on the airwaves, you might want to take it in first, to fully appreciate the parody:


As for the parody, we bet you’ll love the quirky lyrics. You will also surely be impressed by Krupa Maria Varghese’s wicked impersonation of a stereotypical Indian mother-in-law figure describing her darling son and what the family is looking for in a bride for him.

Don’t blink, because you wouldn’t want to miss out on Krupa’s cheeky expressions. Here’s the song:


Also, here are the lyrics to ‘Be Our Pondati’:

I’ve waited so long for this
My boy’s in need of a miss
D’you think you have what it takes
To be his pondati?

Our family’s wealthy and large
We own 2 Mercedes cars
Kitchen that’s state of the art
For his pondati

M.B.A., really handsome
Joint family, amma’s chellam
6 feet, girls go crazy
Shoe size 10, it matters baby!

Hey, tall thin fair girl
We’re bride seeking
So here’s our number
Just send us pictures!

In no time at all
You’ll be making babies
So here’s our number
Just call me maybe

[Chorus]:

Hey tall thin fair girl
Let’s be family
So here’s our number
Be our pondati!

Submit samples of
Your round chapatis
So here’s our number
Just call me maybe!

In search of a homely girl
Who will rock my son’s world
No Facebook. Must not wear shorts.
Be a good pondati

Pondati can work part-time
But must be home before five
To make sambhar vada
For our darling son!

[Chorus]

Once you come into my house
You will have no life
‘Cause you’ll be a wife
You will have no, no life.

 

Editor’s note:

If you’re a fan of satire, this might interest you: The Search For Rahul Gandhi’s Bride.

Jodi365: Find the right partner, at your own pace.

About the author

Abhinand Shankar

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