In Tinder’s new ad, the date comes pre-approved by mummy

Even as India’s young and well-heeled take to internet trends with a vengeance, it seems everything eventually must pass through the sanskaari filter of “meri pyaari Ma”. Or at least that’s what dating app Tinder seems to be saying with its latest India-specific ad, doing the rounds on the internet.

For the record, Tinder’s numbers in India are only growing with time. According to the Business Insider, the app has grown from 7.5 million swipes a day to 14 million swipes from 2015 to April 2016. And according to the company’s India Head, Taru Kapoor, “Tinder has witnessed a significant involvement from women in India.”

But it seems the app, which has consistently struggled with its hook-up tag — thanks to the here-and-gone, swipe-left-swipe-right mode of selecting potential matches — is looking to rebrand itself with more of a PG-rating. And in Tinder’s imagination of the typical desi woman, that means Ma (the cool, reinvented 21st century version) must smilingly approve of the entire process, even “swiping right” on her daughter’s choice of outfits.

Of course, Ma still checks out her daughter’s phone notifications, but invading her privacy is fine, since this is the cool, new liberal mother. And she makes sure her daughter doesn’t do anything too radical like being out late in the night.

With the Ma filter now entering one of Tinder’s ads, we’re left wondering just how large the distance is between this parody by Inedible India and reality.

See the Tinder video here: