Tall, dark, handsome grooms no longer impress women, says study

Whether they are really useful or not, men’s fairness creams are slated to be in high demand. After all, an increasing number of women seem to prefer men who are fair over the ones who are of wheatish or dark complexion.

According to a recent study by Jeevansathi.com, a matrimonial website, complexion of grooms is one of the key deciding factors for women while going ahead with marriage proposals. Today, women are no longer impressed if you are tall, dark and handsome.

“Fairness, of the complexion that is, has become an all important criteria for choosing a partner. Around 71% of overall marriage initiates by females are towards grooms who have mentioned their skin type as fair,” according to Rohit Manghnani, business head of  Jeevansathi.com.

“Everyone knows our country’s obsession with fair skin. Though, I have not seen girls openly admitting that they look for fair-skinned boys, unconsciously they tend to like the ones who are,” he said adding that around 65-70% of men registered on matrimonial websites tend to put their skin colour as fair.

Not surprisingly, they are likely to get five times more response than the ones who mention their skin tone to be dark. Sociologists say that a look at today’s heroes shows that fair men are popular among women. “Imran Khan, Ranbir Kapoor, Shahid Kapoor, they are all fair in the traditional sense and are extremely popular among women. Traditionally we Indians associate good looks with being fair skinned,” said a sociologist.

If you thought looks are important only for men, think again. Women are no longer ready to settle for anyone who looks any less than her favourite actor. The data shows that women while hunting for a groom, give prime importance to looks, a remarkable shift in their attitude.

Consider the case of 24-year-old Sunaina Gandhi (name changed) who is hunting for a groom for herself. “My parents and I have varied choices. While qualification and job are important, I don’t understand why do I need to compromise on looks to find my Mr Right. People may call me shallow but at least I am being honest. What is the harm in looking for someone who has great looks as well as is well qualified?,” she said.

Data also proves that smoking and drinking habits get a thumbs down from today’s women with only 1% of initiates being made towards grooms who have mentioned about their smoking and drinking habits on the site.

Thirty-year-old Madhumeeta Bhandari feels the attitude of women has undergone a tremendous change in the last decade or so. “Earlier, all that mattered was parents’ consent and financial security. The latter has taken a backstage as women themselves have started earning.”