Jahanvi Agarwal
Shaadi.com’s ‘Dowry Calculator’, a feature with a hidden message, recently went viral on social media. This satirical tool claims to calculate the dowry a man can demand from a woman’s family, based on various factors like their educational background and financial situation. However, instead of providing a dowry amount, it reveals significant statistics on dowry deaths in India. Shaadi.com founder Anupam Mittal sarcastically promoted this tool on social media, sparking mixed reactions.
In a clip shared on Instagram, Mr. Mittal explained that calculating dowry used to be straightforward but has now become “extremely complicated”, depending on factors like income, SIPs, and startup equity. Highlighting societal judgments based on whether someone uses an Android device or an iPhone, he said, “To simplify all this, we integrated AI, MM, and ChatGPT to create a Dowry Calculator known as DowrAI”. He shared the clip with the caption, “Ek chutki sindoor ki keemat ab tum bhi jaano Ramesh babu”.
The video has garnered over seven lakh views and 14,000 likes, eliciting varied responses. Some users criticized the initiative, with one commenting, “Plz don’t promote dowry, did not expect this from you”. Another added, “Exactly! Why promote dowry? R u serious?” However, others appreciated the underlying message, calling it “Very catchy marketing to bring about change!” and “Perfect example of don’t judge a book by its cover”.
One user praised Mr. Mittal, writing, “I salute you man. The way you find to open the eyes of the people is really formidable. Keep doing great things… You have a lot of blessings from many families in India.” Another user noted, “Had me for a second, glad we’re talking about this. It’s real, it’s scary, and it needs change”.