Their host pairs each person with their neighbour to the left and tells them they have five minutes to ask each other questions and discover common ground. The setup looks like a party or a corporate ice-breaking session, but the goal is not to pass the time or force team bonding. In the wilderness of modern dating, apps such as Bumble, Tinder, Hinge, QuackQuack, and Happn are the guides, but many are left lost and disillusioned by the endless swipes, ageism, skewed gender ratio, mismatched expectations, scams , and dead-ends.
Sparks flying across the room. When the five minutes are up, the host calls out pairs one by one, inviting them to share at least one interesting thing they found in common. One pair announces that they both spent their childhood in Pune, but their paths crossed this night for the first time. For a few moments, tenuous coincidences morph into serendipity, and liking the same flavour of ice-cream takes on the hue of destiny.
Others seem embarrassed and shy, but they stay. Among them, sporting a purple dress and a dazzling solitaire on her ring finger, is Priyanka Sood. For her, finding love is serious business. The popularity of [dating] apps is, in fact, increasing, but the satisfaction levels or experiences of people have become much worse.
According to data aggegator Statista. But dating apps often feel like a game of roulette with bad odds. On the other extreme, matches and meetings arranged by family members can be a pressure valve. Mixers, therefore, promise a happy medium. They provide an in-person dating pool curated by organisers while retaining the thrill of discovery.
And a mix it is. The guests range in age from their 20s to late 40s, with engineers and consultants rubbing shoulders with fitness trainers and musicians.
