New York, Oct 17: "SAM seeks ABCD hottie" has never been Sujit Chawla's style. The 30-year-old filmmaker had frankly never even considered dating an Indian American woman, although as a resident of New York City he was surrounded by an awe-inspiring array of beautiful Bengalis, gorgeous Gujaratis and pulchritudinous Punjabis "I usually dated Americans," Chawla said. "I'd never dated Indian women before. I thought, I'm an American. Why would I want to be with an Indian woman?' Now, I realize I had issues with girls who were more in touch with their Indian culture than I was."
So what caused this dramatic about-face? A TV reality series, Date Patrol, airing Saturday nights on TLC.
Chawla is the first Indian American contestant on the show, which will air Nov 8 at 10 p.m. Date Patrol follows Chawla on dates with Chriselle and Divya - both Indian American women - and, in true reality show style, dissects Chawla's personality and fashion sense in excruciating detail.
Chawla first heard that the show was casting young, urban singles, and sent in an application "as a joke," he said. "A day later, the producers called." After a gruelling interview that included probing questions on his dating history, background and family life, Chawla was chosen to be a contestant on the show. First, he was sent out on a date while cameras recorded everything, and was judged by Date Patrol coaches on his dating skills. As if that wasn't nerve-wracking enough, Chawla then had to sit through the judges' critiques of his style. "They said I sat too stiffly, and didn't react to anything my date said," he recalled. "If she touched my arm, I would just sit there."
Then, the transformation began. The judges raided his closet and apartment first. "They threw out, like, half of all my clothes," Chawla chuckled. Then, they took him shopping for some grown-up furniture and even threw in a little analysis to help him overcome his fear of heights, and gave him tips on how to approach women to strike up a conversation. As gruelling as this all sounds, Chawla insists he's a better man for the experience. "It has actually given me more confidence," he told India-West. "If they hadn't made me walk up to a random woman in Central Park and talk to her, I never would have done something like that. Also, I realize now that if a woman says no, then it's not the end of the world. I know another woman will come along."
But what's even more surprising is that Chawla has shifted his whole outlook on bachelorhood as a result of being on the show.
"Now, I realize that I eventually would like to end up with a girl like me, an Indian raised in America," he said.