Indian debuts on dating show

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal">"SAM seeks ABCD hottie" has never been Sujit Chawla''s style. The 30-year-old filmmaker had frankly never even considered dating an Indian American woman, although as a resident of New York City he was surrounded by an awe-inspiring array of beautiful Bengalis, gorgeous Gujaratis and pulchritudinous Punjabis.<br /><br />"I usually dated Americans," Chawla said."I''d never dated Indian women before. I thought, I''m an American. Why would I want to be with an Indian woman?'' Now, I realize I had issues with girls who were more in touch with their Indian culture than I was."<br /><br />So what caused this dramatic about-face? A TV reality series, <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Date Patrol</span>, airing Saturday nights on TLC.<br /><br />Chawla is the first Indian American contestant on the show, which will air Nov 8 at 10 p.m. <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Date Patrol</span> follows Chawla on dates with Chriselle and Divya - both Indian American women - and, in true reality show style, dissects Chawla''s personality and fashion sense in excruciating detail.<br /><br />Chawla first heard that the show was casting young, urban singles, and sent in an application "as a joke," he said. "A day later, the producers called." After a gruelling interview that included probing questions on his dating history, background and family life, Chawla was chosen to be a contestant on the show.<br /><br />First, he was sent out on a date while cameras recorded everything, and was judged by <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Date Patrol</span> coaches on his dating skills. As if that wasn''t nerve-wracking enough, Chawla then had to sit through the judges'' critiques of his style. "They said I sat too stiffly, and didn''t react to anything my date said," he recalled. "If she touched my arm, I would just sit there."<br /><br /></div> </div><div class="section2"><div class="Normal">Then, the transformation began. The judges raided his closet and apartment first. "They threw out, like, half of all my clothes," Chawla chuckled. Then, they took him shopping for some grown-up furniture and even threw in a little analysis to help him overcome his fear of heights, and gave him tips on how to approach women to strike up a conversation.<br /><br />As gruelling as this all sounds, Chawla insists he''s a better man for the experience. "It has actually given me more confidence," he told India-West. "If they hadn''t made me walk up to a random woman in Central Park and talk to her, I never would have done something like that. Also, I realize now that if a woman says no, then it''s not the end of the world. I know another woman will come along."<br /><br />But what''s even more surprising is that Chawla has shifted his whole outlook on bachelorhood as a result of being on the show.<br /><br />"Now, I realize that I eventually would like to end up with a girl like me, an Indian raised in America," he said.<br /><br />Visit www.tlc.com to sign up for an email reminder to watch the show, or for information on how to become a contestant.<br /></div> </div>