The third season of Bravo’s “Family Karma” debuted on Nov. 6 and a gay wedding is one of the main storylines in this reality series about a group of Indian-American friends living in Miami.
Last season, attorney Amrit Kapai proposed to his longtime partner Nicholas Kouchokos and finally – the couple was married last April – viewers will get a look at the preparations and weekend-long ceremony.
Kapai spoke with SFGN via Zoom about the event and what viewers can expect in subsequent episodes.
“It was stressful. Planning a wedding generally is very, very stressful. There is so much conflict between the two individuals getting married and then you add the layer of families involved. Ours is obviously not a traditional wedding … it’s two guys, it’s a biracial, interfaith gay wedding. Oftentimes it felt like the odds were stacked against us,” recalled Kapai.
He continued, “We knew how important it was to solidify our bonds with one another. Representation absolutely matters and gay marriage is still pretty recent. We’re not even 10 years out and sometimes I feel like we’re taking steps backward in terms of our progress. So, hopefully, viewers will love seeing the wedding. We should be able to turn on the TV and see straight and gay weddings. At the end of the day, everybody wants the same thing – love.”
Kapai chuckled when asked if he became a “groomzilla” through the process. While viewers will be left to make their own judgments, he admitted he and Kouchokos “passed the baton to one another … I was probably the groomzilla 70 to 80% of the time. I will take ownership of that. I’m very particular. If I hadn’t been a lawyer, I might have been an event planner and an Indian wedding is an ultimate event.”
Now a few months into their marriage, life hasn’t changed drastically. He appreciates the commitment and especially the opportunity to use the “H” word (for husband), rather than boyfriend, partner or significant other.
“Husband is a term that has so much power to it universally and there’s no reason our community should not be able to use that term,” Kapai said.
As for the rest of the new season storylines involving his castmates, Kapai said it isn’t “rainbows and butterflies.” There are conflicts among the friends and also with their parents, who are first-generation immigrants and have been friends longer than their children.
“That’s inevitable with friendships. You have to remember the good times, the history. That’s what keeps these relationships from breaking forever,” he pointed out, noting that the cast see the final edited episodes at the same time as viewers.
Kapai is grateful to Bravo for the opportunity to portray his truth on the show.
“Bravo has allowed me to tell my story and to have that story resonate with viewers. Growing up, if I was able to turn on the television and watch somebody like me who was of Indian origin, who was an attorney, who was gay and was getting married, that would have given me the confidence to come out sooner in life … All of the other stuff is fun, being recognized, the fans, the opportunities … but the most important thing is to tell my story,” he said.
Season 3 of “Family Karma” is currently airing on Bravo on Sundays. Check local listings for channels and times.
