Australian Woman Shares How Dating Scene In India Differs From The West

An Australian woman has shared her understanding of India’s dating culture and how it differs from her home country. After travelling across India, Bree Steele, a podcast producer, has shared her knowledge and experience on social media, especially Instagram, where her videos have received noteworthy attention.

In one of the videos that went viral, Steele commented on major disparities in dating between people in India and Australia. She observes that while Australian men use teasing as a way of flirting, which she says is “just being mean”, Indian men, on the other hand, are polite and direct when they flirt.

“In India, everyone is so nice to you, and things move fast!” she remarked, recalling a man flirted with her by holding her hand, something she said would not be typical of Australians.

In another video, Steele mentioned she went to a dating event in Mumbai which she thought was like a “school disco”. She pointed out that in the first hour, the male and female participants sat in their respective groups; therefore, the initial setting was tense.

Steele says that casual dating is still in its infancy in India as compared to the West.

One of the most common themes that Steele brings up is how Bollywood affected the ways people in India navigate dating now. She says it appears as if many young Indians base their romantic interactions on what they see in Indian films. She said this generation may be the first to practice dating rather than relying on arranged marriages.

When analysing the cultural framework of dating, she compares the situation of her generation in Australia with the situation of young Indians now. She highlights the fact that Western cultures particularly have a history of dating with the addition of formal sex education. She perceived that such discussions are less common in India and behaviours here are therefore more influenced by movies than culture.

Responses to Steele’s observations have elicited a lot of conversation on the social media platform.

A user commented, “Never thought it that way, but I guess you are right”.

Another user said, “Your theory is spot on Bree!”

Meanwhile, a user shared, “Bollywood experience is limited to Mumbai and some metros. India is far more complex than just limited to one city or area. You really need to travel a lot to experience more. And no it wasn’t always “arranged marriage”, dating has been around before too only not called “dating”.”