‘Barbie’ calls off a wedding

Silliest, pettiest and the craziest reasons behind city couples breaking up revealed

As divorces become increasingly frequent, so are the reasons being cited — frivolous, irrelevant and often downright hilarious!

Listen to the most recent and most idiotic grounds for divorce — the bride wanted a wedding with a Barbie Doll theme, the groom didn’t. Believe it or not, this seemingly trivial squabble ultimately snowballed into separation!

Advocate Anuradha Naidu, sharing this case with Deccan Chronicle, said that the boy was from the United Kingdom. The girl’s in-laws couldn’t accept the Barbie Doll demand due to the prevailing culture in their family. They told her she could use the theme for a party later or a get-together with close friends.

“The girl was so furious, she did not let the boy consummate the marriage. Hour-long phone calls followed, so-called ‘ nagging’ and even allegations of impotence were hurled. The boy couldn’t take all this. Meanwhile, the girl’s parents went to town with their financial demands, initially asking for `50 lakh. Ultimately they settled for a compensation of `30 lakh and a separation by mutual consent”, revealed advocate Naidu.

But “Barbie doll” isn’t the only petty reason for divorce. Bad breath, weight gain or hair loss or in many cases, religious intolerance have also led to filing of divorce petitions. “In many cases, inter-religious marriages fly in the face of family opposition and once they tie the knot, it is religious intolerance that causes them to break their vows,” says advocate Gopal Krishna Kalanidhi.

What’s in a name, you may ask. Plenty, according to Nina, a homeopath, who actually had a problem with her groom’s religious or traditional, name. The poor chap was a rustic farmer and it wasn’t long before he filed for divorce, citing harassment by his in-laws in the initial years of marriage. Apparently, changing his name was never an option for him!