Bree Steele, an Australian podcast producer traveling across India, has been sharing her experiences on social media, including her observations on the country’s unique dating culture. In a series of videos on her Instagram channel, she delves into the differences between dating in India and Australia.
Steele notes that the flirting styles in India differ significantly from her home country. “In India, everyone is so nice to you,” she explains, “but it seems to move very fast here. Men don’t know how to flirt and usually just engage in banter, which is just being mean.” She recounts a particular incident at a party where a man she was flirting with unexpectedly held her hand – a gesture she says would be unheard of in Australia.
Her experience attending a dating event in Mumbai further solidified her observations. She describes the event as feeling like a “school disco” where women only interacted with other women and men stuck with their own gender for the first hour.
Steele suggests that Indian dating culture might be influenced by Bollywood films, stating, “Dating in India feels like everyone based how they act on the films they watch. My understanding is that our generation of Indians are the first in history who can date casually. Up until now, I am sure its only been arranged marriages.”
She contrasts this with the established dating culture in the West, where generations have built a tradition of casual dating. “In the West, for my parents and grandparents, dating is in our culture. We are told stories about it, and we learn sex education in school. I feel like that’s not happening here, and everyone is basing it off of what they see in films because it’s not part of the culture here yet,” she theorizes.
Steele’s post sparked a debate among her followers, with some resonating with her observations and others offering contrasting perspectives. One commenter wrote, “Welcome to India!! It’s a good time to be here…Navratri, Dussehra, Diwali…You will just love the vibe and India will stay with you forever:) [sic].” Another commenter expressed a different opinion, stating, “Just Why?!?? Emotions and feelings is just a game in India [sic].” A third comment sought further information about the dating event, writing, “What dating event is thissss? Even I’m in Mumbai. I want to attend onee [sic].”
Bree Steele’s honest observations on dating culture in India have ignited a conversation, prompting further discussion and a deeper understanding of the nuances of dating in a society where tradition and modernization intersect.
