Indian Mother-in-Law And Italian Bahu Defy Stereotypes By Getting Along With Each Other

Giulia Raffaello Jain, an Italian content creator and TedX speaker, met Indian guy Shrey Jain through a dating app, and the two fell in love and married. She was aware that the saas-bahu 'enemy' stereotype is something that both Italy and India share, but when she met her Indian mother-in-law, it altered her perspective. Giulia Raffaello Jain spoke to SheThePeople and shared her relationship with her Indian mother-in-law.

"Shrey and I met on a dating app in 2016. Both of us were working in Berlin at the time. He texted me first—he was really surprised to see an Italian who was vegetarian! From there, things moved quickly for us. Within a week of matching online, we met at a park for our first date. That meeting lasted six hours!

Very early on, I realised that this wasn’t just another relationship. He was more than a partner, he was my best friend—the one. It was a Sunday and we’d just returned from a nice brunch. We felt content and it seemed like an ideal day to tell our parents about us. We had only been dating for 2 weeks then. We closed ourselves in separate rooms and made the calls.

When I told my parents in Italy that I had an Indian boyfriend, there were a few seconds of silence and then an "Oh!" My parents didn’t know much about India, so it was a faraway concept for them. Nevertheless, they were supportive and said, "If you’re happy, we’re happy." We can’t wait to meet him! " Today, my mom has a little corner in her cupboard where she keeps all of Shrey’s spices, chai, and bhujiya.

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In 2018, we flew to India. I was excited not only because I would meet Shrey’s parents, but also because it was my first trip there. By then, I had spoken to Mom and Dad multiple times on the phone, so it wasn’t awkward. One thing that Italy and India have in common is the saas-bahu ‘enemy’ stereotype. But Mom and I hit it off instantly! She’s so bubbly, so open-minded, and so much fun to hang out with. She’s been our biggest fan since day one. We love making dance videos together.

Last June, Shrey and I registered our marriage in Copenhagen. We exchanged vows in a garden—it was a sunny day, with roses all around and a slight breeze. I know it sounds like a Bollywood film, but it was just perfect! We plan on having our traditional Italian and Indian marriages this year.

I’d been in love with India long before I met Shrey. I began watching Bollywood films at only 15. Both Shrey and I think I was Indian in my previous life—I'm so at ease with the culture. Although I’m yet to master the art of rotis, The first time I made roti, it came out like a frisbee—it was so thick! Since then, we've made an agreement at home that I’ll cook Italian and he’ll cook Indian."

Watch the video here.

Feature Image Credit: Giulia Raffaello Jain/ Instagram