No Shaadi, Just Shaadi Vibes

What is the most exciting part of attending an Indian wedding? It definitely isn’t the aunties hankering after you, asking when it will be your turn to tie the knot? It also isn’t avoiding the judgmental stares that follow you around the room. What about saying hello to relatives you haven’t seen since you were a toddler, coincidentally at another wedding?

All of these things are unavoidable, inevitable consequences of attending a big, fat desi wedding. Some penance for enjoying the good food, good music, and open bar. But what if we told you that you could enjoy the shor sharaba (commotion and lively noise) of a wedding party without all the unsavoury bits?

That is the latest idea India’s Gen Z came up with and ran with. Fake sangeets have been cropping up in cities across India throughout the summer and as wedding season approaches, what is the appeal of a “sangeet party” and why is it so popular?

Also known as “scam shaadi” or “scam sangeet”, the idea is simple. It is a typical Friday night out with friends but the theme is weddings. There is no bride, there is no groom, and, most importantly, there are no expectations. Though reports suggest Gen Z are going out less frequently due to rising costs, it seems that they are still looking for reasons to celebrate and enjoy themselves; they just need a ‘hook’. Something that entices them to spend money.

According to The Big Fat ‘Fake’ Indian Wedding – Gen Z’s Latest Party Trend on BBC, Kaushal Chanani, founder of 8Club and host of a fake wedding party in Bengaluru, said the idea was inspired by Indians living abroad.

Jummaakiraat, a Delhi-based events company organised their first sangeet party in February earlier this year. With tongue-in-cheek references like the dress code being “KJO level weddingness” and the Instagram post promoting the event being designed like a  wedding invitation card, they definitely leaned into the shaadi of it all.

Some events have taken the joke further with a Taylor Swift sangeet night, in anticipation of her wedding to Travis Kelce, like this one. So are sangeet parties here to stay or is this just the latest fad to get Gen Z back into the partying scene again? Whatever it is, take advantage of the vibes of a wedding party while conveniently avoiding all the aspects you dislike.

What would be on your sangeet party playlist? Here at Masala, our answers range from "Say Na Say Na", and "Abhi Toh Party Shuru Hui Hai", to "Mehndi Laga Ke Rakhna", and "Saajanji Ghar Aaye".