Renewed wedding vows, new fashion line: Singh family trip to India is full of surprises
Tag along with Bollywed’s Singh family on their first-ever trip to India together
Season 3 of Bollywed is finally here and this time Singh family has something special for fans: They're taking us to India!
We've been right there with the family as they've greeted customers and planned weddings at their flagship location in Toronto's Little India and as they opened up a new location in Richmond Hill, Ontario. Now, it's time to meet the extended family and explore where the fashion comes from. "That was really special, being able to take the viewers with us to our factory back in India where things are made," says Chandan Singh.
The remarkable thing? This family has never travelled to India together before. So, they're making this trip extra special: Kuki and Sarab will be renewing their wedding vows.
We sat down with the Singhs to find out about more their epic trip.
Note: responses have been editing for clarity.
What's the first thing you do when you arrive in India?
Chandan: First, we embrace the heat. We just stand outside and look up into the sun.
Chandni: The first stop is just any kind of street food. Our favourite as a family is pani puri, these savoury little tarts with water in them. India is just awesome in the way that every corner, you can find some sort of cool thing to try.
Sarab: As soon as we got in the car, we pulled the driver over [for] fresh coconuts. Everyone is having these beautiful green coconuts and we have them cut open and just try lovely, fresh coconut water.
Who watched the store while you were away?
Chandan: I was looking for someone a bit younger, someone who had modern-day analytics that they could put the business. But Dad wanted three things: experience, experience and experience.
So he ended up hiring a friend of his who he was very, very comfortable with. And so, Roger uncle watched the store while we were away, but Dad talked to him multiple times throughout the day to check in at all hours.
Why did you want to renew your vows in India?
Sarab: I'll tell you why it was important. Because when we got married 40 years ago, there was nothing, our wedding was very simple. And, secondly, when we got married here, there were no relatives from his [Kuki's] side.
Roop: They gave us our dream weddings. They were fabulous, larger than life. And now, they got their own.
Chandni: It's never too late for anyone to fulfil their dreams.
Chandan: When you think of renewing your vows, you think of a very simple ceremony. It's very elegant. And it's very intimate.
Roop: But have you guys met our dad? Like, he's going to give our mother an intimate, subtle wedding? There were live animals. And lots and lots of love.
Chandni: It's not very common in the South Asian culture to get remarried. It should be a trend to celebrate your marriage. We've heard our mom and dad say, 'you know, I wish I had this at my wedding.' So 40 years later, here we are. I think it's a blessing.
Why did you debut your new fashion collection in Mumbai?
Chandan: We're in Mumbai, the fashion capital of India, and that is the ultimate test because if you can make fashion work in Mumbai, you can make it work anywhere in the world.
We had countless numbers of guests and attendees and influencers come up and be like, 'Wow, that was really amazing. That was really good.'
We not only just created something unique for the local community in Mumbai in India to adore, but also now have the privilege of bringing this collection back to Toronto to see what our Canadian viewers and audience think.
Chandni: Bringing the Indian embroideries, the fabrics to Western silhouettes. It's ever-evolving. We are having so much fun creating this fusion layer and blending the two cultures together.
How to watch Bollywed, Season 3
Bollywed, Season 3 is now streaming on CBC Gem.
CBC Gem is available for free as an App for iOS, tvOS, Fire TV, Android TV, Android phones and tablets, LG and Samsung Smart TVs, Roku, and Xbox One/S/X and online at gem.cbc.ca.
