In case you missed it, last year PopShift, a South Asian based artistic company from the U.S. launched the reality dating show that every young Brown kid had been waiting for—Desi Me Dating. 

I grew up as a reality TV fiend. MTV is my safe space with shows like The Real World, The Challenge, and let’s not forget everyone’s favourite wild cast from The Jersey Shore. I never gave up on my not-so-guilty pleasure of watching reality TV, so I’ve been overjoyed with the huge comeback it made in the past few years, especially when it revolves around a topic we could all relate to—love.

During the height of the pandemic, we found solace binging episodes of shows like Love Island, Too Hot to Handle, the ever classic Bachelor(ette) and of course, Love is Blind. 

I was obsessed with these shows from the start but found myself craving a diverse cast that I could relate to with some Desi representation. And no, Shake is not what we asked for although Deepti did hold it down.

Indian Matchmaking came out with a bang and we all watched again with wide eyes, but more so at what a disaster that archaic process was. Every South Asian kid of the diaspora needed something that we could resonate with—something that reflected the reality of our lives today. 

We’re regular people, trying to find love and embracing our culture. We go on dates, we have breakups, we have sparks, and sometimes we don't. We were missing that show that made us feel seen and heard.

Then along came Desi Me Dating.

Desi Me Dating is a blind dating show featuring an all South Asian American cast. The second season is launching on September 26th and we couldn’t be more excited! The first season was a hit and featured so many fun dates and incredible personalities. The dates start off with contestants taking off their blindfold and seeing their date for the first time. 

No names are given, they  just take a shot and jump right into a fun activity like making a fresh bowl of Maggi together. Throughout the date, participants are given questions to break the ice and get to know each other better. Then they  just see where it goes and decide whether or not they’d go on a second date. 

I binged every episode right as it came out and I was definitely Team Krupa and Pawan, although it turns out that they ultimately stayed just friends. The show was so reflective of how many young Desis are dating and the cast was definitely reflective of the average young Indian American you’re friends with.

Knowing that there was a second season to look forward to definitely made my day. I got very lucky and had a chance to get a sneak peek of what’s in store and let me just say, just when you thought it couldn't get better, it did!

Season 2 introduces another new concept to the mix along with the traditional blind set-up they had in Season 1. This season, you can also look forward to watching dates based solely on personality where the participants sit on either side of a divider and ask each other questions to learn more about each other before finally seeing each other at the end of the date. 

I love this new concept mirroring some of the aspects that we fell for during Love is Blind. It really elevates the new season and it’s amazing to see all the different styles of people and dating come together. I’m looking forward to watching the whole series and seeing more of this amazing representation.

I had the pleasure of getting a sneak peek of Season 2 and let me tell you, it is worth the watch! This season is a mix of Love is Blind meets Indian Matchmaking in the best way possible. Be sure to check out the new season dropping on September 26th. I hear they may even be some real love to look out for.