HYDERABAD: It took years for the term dating to come to our ‘sanskaari’ nation. Till then, it was all about brushing of two flowers, dancing in the park or the two minute coy talk at ‘bride-seeing’ occasions. Dating gradually evolved, thanks to Yahoo Chatrooms, then the awkward Orkut threads and finally to friendly, free- flowing Facebook messages. Later it embarked on a new journey called ‘touch heart’ on Instagram and now to ‘swipe right’ on Tinder. Dating took new shapes and how. Now, it’s time to welcome the latest addition – speed dating, which comes with a guarantee, but warranty should be checked before using (pun intended).
Guess what? Apna Hyderabad ke logan are all set to embrace the concept on August 6 at an exclusive event in the city. Vijay, founder of LOL (Life of Line) Speed Dating, an organisation that lets you meet, greet and find your partner offline, says the Biryani City is on par with the other cities in terms of speed dating. This Bengaluru-based organisation, founded in August 2016, is 55 events old.
What is speed dating and how does it work?:
Vijay explains us that it is a social event in which people seeking relationships have the chance to meet eligible singles offline, in a safe and fun environment. “Speed dating is common in UK, Europe and Australia. It is like a cocktail party. The event lasts around two hours in which one gets to speak privately to ten potential matches for eight minutes each, shifting tables every time the bell rings! In the end, you indicate on a scorecard who you are interested in and the day after, they will receive their matches by email,” he helps us understand.
When asked about credibility, his teammate Leticia tells us that only the first name is revealed to the candidates at first. “At the end of the event, they check the score card and they check for a match. It is a match only when, for example, Boy 1 likes Girl 3 and Girl 3 also likes Boy 1. The contact details, full name, email ID, background of the person is revealed by us only after a match. Lots of people register on Tinder/matrimonials, where fake profiles are created. Here people meet face to face, don’t lie and are transparent,” she assures.
Well, a thorough background check is done by the organisers. Questions like, ‘Are you single? Where are you working? Can you provide us your company ID card? Can we check your passport?’ Later they are asked to register online. “People must register at www.lifeofline.com and provide their profile details and upload age proof, employment proof and latest picture. We need passport copy of the person for id proof. We do extensive background check with online social media and our special team ensures we have only right people participating in the events. We want certain kind of people, with degree or studying, groups like 21-31, 31-40 years and so on,” Leticia shares.
They have more than 2,000 registered members. The LOL team feels Hyderabad’s response was a surprise, for lots of people participated. “We had organised nine events in MOB Belgium Beer House in Banjara hills, and more events are already planned for the near future,” Vijay informs.
Usually people get three matches out of 10 candidates they meet at the events. In case they don’t like any of them, the next speed dating event is free for them. It is not just about finding a partner, people often make new friendships and expand their professional horizons too.
Wondered why only singles and not married or divorced people? Vijay and Leticia say it is only for people who are looking for a partner, date or open their circle is allowed to participate. “Divorced are allowed only when we check they are over the past and truly looking for someone and start a new relationship. They can register, only after their divorce is official in the court of law. It is not for any frivolous relationships. So we ensure it is for singles or divorced.”
Why did it take so long to come to India? They inform that the concept was first introduced in 2001 by a few folks, but it was a flop show for obvious reasons. The same was experimented in 2005, but they couldn’t find the right audience, and hence they lost interest. “In 2016, I knew this concept would be accepted. Now people are more open. They are experimenting with Tinder and they are open to try off line friendships and relationships too,” Vijay states.
Vijay informs that recently two experienced Spanish girls joined him as hosts and also to work on marketing. He says every month, there is a meet at one city. They have conducted the meets in Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Pune, Delhi, Goa, Kolkata and Chandigarh. Next event in Hyderabad is on August 6.