₹10 crore salary, IIM degree! Marriage consultant tells Ranveer Allahbadia why some men still get rejected

Much like dating apps, the arranged marriage scene loves to pretend personality matters most. But in reality? The first thing people judge is still the photo. A great career, impressive salary package, elite degrees and “good family background” often end up taking a backseat if the picture does not instantly click.And contrary to the usual assumption, this pressure is not faced by women alone. For years, conversations around matchmaking have mostly focused on how women are judged for their skin tone, weight, height or overall appearance. But now, a growing discussion online is shedding light on the kind of appearance-based scrutiny men deal with too, especially when it comes to baldness.The conversation picked up after arranged marriage consultant Taksh Gupta appeared on Ranveer Allahbadia’s podcast on May 16, where he spoke about one insecurity that quietly affects a huge number of men in the matchmaking world.

According to Taksh, hair loss has become one of those factors that can completely change how a profile is received, no matter how successful the person may be otherwise.“If a boy doesn't have hair in the photo, no matter how good that boy is, he can earn 5 crore, 10 crore, he can have MBA from IIM Ahmedabad or Harvard, but very few girls approach them,” he said during the podcast. And honestly, the statement struck a nerve online because it reflects something many people already suspect about modern matchmaking: looks may not be everything, but they often decide whether someone even gets a chance.

Taksh went on to share the story of one of his clients to explain how intense this bias can get. The man reportedly had what most families would call a “perfect” profile on paper. Strong educational background, successful career, stable finances. But despite all that, he kept getting rejected after families saw his photograph.Taksh admitted it reached a point where he felt uncomfortable breaking the truth to his client repeatedly.

People liked the biodata, but the baldness became the deciding factor. Eventually, the client paused his profile for a few months and underwent a hair transplant. And according to Taksh, the difference after updating the pictures was massive.The same man, with the same qualifications and same personality, suddenly started receiving dramatically more interest. Taksh claimed the number of matches reportedly jumped from just three to nearly 200, with responses increasing by almost 70 to 80 percent.The story has now triggered a larger conversation online about how superficial matchmaking can become for both genders.Women have long spoken about being reduced to beauty standards during arranged marriage discussions. But many men say baldness, height and body type are increasingly becoming their version of the same pressure.At the end of the day, the entire debate exposes one uncomfortable reality about modern dating and arranged marriages alike: people may say “looks don’t matter,” but first impressions still seem to run the show.