A rishta search can run for months with dozens of profiles, several family members involved, and a lot of "who was supposed to call whom?". A simple system saves arguments.
1. Agree on the basics first
Before the first biodata, sit together - including the person getting married - and write down:
- Must-haves (3-5): e.g. "will let her work", "open to Pune or Bengaluru", "vegetarian home".
- Nice-to-haves: education level, family type, kundli minimum.
- Not important: things that sound important but aren't for you.
Write them in the tracker's priorities box; the comparison report uses them.
2. One list, one owner
Pick one person to own the list (often a sibling who's good with a phone), and add every profile the day it arrives - name, source, birth details, a one-line summary. Five minutes per profile.
3. First filter (same day)
Check the must-haves and the kundli score. Profiles that clearly don't fit go to "Not proceeding" with a one-line reason - so nobody re-discovers them two weeks later.
4. First call (within a week)
Parents usually call first. Afterwards, add notes immediately: tone, what was said, any open questions. Set a "next step" date.
5. Meeting the person
Use better questions than "what are your hobbies" - see our 40 questions guide. Note what felt right and what didn't.
6. Verification (serious stage)
Employment, education, marital status, and for NRIs, visa and job - see how to verify a rishta.
7. Decide, and close the loop
When you're down to two or three, run the comparison report and talk it through as a family. Then reply to the others politely - a short, kind "we've decided to go ahead elsewhere, best wishes" is better than silence.
Keep everyone in the loop
- Export backup and share the file in the family group so others can import it.
- Copy summary for WhatsApp sends a quick status update.
Start your list - it's free and stays on your phone.