Indian TV Channel Seeks Success With Weddings

NOIDA, India (AP) – Weddings and reality television: Indians are obsessed with both. Now, Shagun TV, a new television channel headquartered in a sprawling suburb of India’s capital, is hoping it has found a can’t-miss idea – merging the two into a 24-hour matrimonial TV station.

Shagun TV can itself seem obsessed. Artwork on the windows of its lobby depict an Indian wedding procession, with turbaned men beating drums and an elephant-drawn carriage carrying the groom. In the main TV studio, a large cardboard astrology chart lies against a wall, used by one host to answer wedding and relationship questions. And a plasma television loops video of a bridal ceremony.

Then there are the programs. There is a bridal makeover show, a show featuring dreamy honeymoon destinations and one on the often-fraught relationship between mothers and daughters-in-law. There’s “Gold n’ Beautiful,” showcasing bridal jewelry. Coming soon are marriage-themed soap operas.

“There is no reining in the penchant for wedding celebrations in India,” said Dheeraj Sinha, author of “Consumer India: Inside the Indian Mind and Wallet.”

“They are only becoming louder and more professional,” Sinha said.