Love is Blind is a Netflix reality show that first aired on Feb. 13, 2020. Since then, the show has gained a massive following with its innovative take on modern-day dating. We follow the contestant’s journey to finding their soulmate. The show prohibits the participants from seeing one another in hopes of them developing a more meaningful bond that goes beyond their physical appearance. Season two of the show, which was released in 2022, is getting a lot of attention for unfortunate reasons.
This season featured couple Deepti and Abhishek, whose relationship was controversial, to say the least. When the two joined the cast of Love is Blind, there seemed to be an instant connection between them. The pair shared similar interests and values, but Abhishek, also known as Shake, came across as rather superficial. From the beginning, Shake mentioned his preference for skinny, blonde, white women. He noted that his infatuation with blondes began when his Indian family first moved to America. Shake found, and still finds, blondes to be considerably more attractive and exotic. Despite his apparent superficiality, we saw a softer side of him in the show. Throughout his interactions with Deepti in the isolated booth, Shake was seen in a more vulnerable light. He reflected that his obsession with physical attractiveness came from his own insecurities. Their relationship seemed to be developing as Shake abandoned his relatively shallow mindset and fully embraced Deepti for who she was, a bright and beautiful Indian woman. When the two met face to face, Shake found Deepti attractive. He was very affectionate and called her “perfect” and beautiful. He even said he couldn’t wait to have kids with her, promising her a happy life. It’s safe to say that viewers were rooting for the couple until they descended into their inevitable downfall.
After their first face-to-face interaction, we saw the 32-year-old veterinarian slowly go back to his old ways. Shake started chatting with other male contestants about how he didn’t find Deepti attractive. Attraction is a vital part of any relationship, but instead of discussing this matter with Deepti, Shake decided to take the middle school approach. The insensitivity didn’t stop there as he continued making rude remarks, even calling her an aunty. This was incredibly disrespectful; it was truly heartbreaking to watch a man berate his fiance on live TV by making such hurtful remarks. Because Deepti didn’t fit the western beauty standards, she was not considered attractive by Shake. Her being Indian and sharing similar features to the people of his ethnic race made her an aunty. This became a colossal topic of conjuncture on social media; people were rightfully calling out Shake for his outdated mentality and his evident inferiority complex.
Shake’s problem with Deepti boiled down to the fact that she was Indian. He associated her Indian-ness with being unattractive, as he lived in a predominantly white society. Constantly being told that his race wasn’t attractive made him unable to view brown women in a sexual manner. This feeling of inadequacy in Shake’s personal life had caused him to adopt such an obscure view of beauty. Throughout the season, Shake continued to pull Deepti along while making such obnoxious statements and not directly communicating any of his emotions to his partner. He started the show off by planting the false hope of marriage and ended up mocking her on live television. It is also important to note that the show is called Love is Blind and urges contestants to look past a person’s appearance. Shake took part in the reality show knowing this but didn’t attempt to judge women beyond their attractiveness. Claiming that he, “isn’t perfect, but he’s real,” Shake tried to brush off these comments, but his manipulative and toxic nature was apparent to all the viewers.
Thankfully, when Deepti learned about Shake’s rude and painful comments about her, she came to her senses and didn’t go through with the marriage. Deepti took a stand for herself as she realized she deserved much better than Shake. This decision was celebrated on social media. Deepti authentically presented herself throughout the show, remaining open-minded and incredibly kind to Shake. Despite Shake’s disgusting behaviour, she didn’t retaliate but simply mentioned that he should seek help for his issues.