Hijabs, Humor, and Heart: How "Muslim Matchmaker" Found a Home at Disney

At the 2025 ATX TV Festival, the creators and stars of Muslim Matchmaker gathered to discuss the groundbreaking unscripted dating series, which brings Muslim American love stories to the forefront—backed by none other than ABC News Studios and streaming on Hulu. And while the subject matter is inherently personal, political, and culturally layered, the team behind the show praised Disney for giving them complete creative freedom.

“We pitched it as a joyful dating show," said series creator Smriti Mundhra. “But the reality is, our existence is political. ABC News Studios understood that. They embraced the fact that we were going to center Muslim identity. They never asked us to water it down—not the title, not the hijabs on the poster. They wanted it exactly as it was."

The studio's enthusiasm extended to the casting process as well, with executives asking where in the U.S. the team had searched for Muslim American communities. “They really encouraged us to go wide," said executive producer Senain Kheshgi.

While the show is firmly in the dating genre, it carries the layered complexity that comes from telling real-life stories through the lens of faith and culture. And that message came through loud and clear—even during the press tour. Yasmin Elhady, one of the show's matchmakers, recalled her appearance on The View, where Joy Behar questioned her choice to ask cast members about past risks. Elhady’s answer was simple: “Because love is risk."

Muslim Matchmaker marks the third entry in Mundhra’s matchmaking universe (following Netflix’s Indian Matchmaking and Jewish Matchmaking) and was inspired by her own experience working with a matchmaker in her 20s. But unlike many reality dating shows, this series forgoes flashy challenges or hyper-produced dates. As Kheshgi explained, “We come from a documentary background. Real life is dramatic. Especially dating."

Elhady and her co-host Hoda Abrahim brought their real-life matchmaking experience to the show—Abrahim having made her first successful match in middle school, and Elhady matching her brother nearly two decades ago. The show’s success, they said, comes not from gimmicks but from creating a space where people can slow down, reflect, and connect intentionally.

At the heart of that process are Elhady’s 300 curated questions, developed over years of professional experience and personal trial. Questions range from “How do you define respect?" to “Who taught you about conflict?" and “What’s the difference between sex and romance?" (Elhady is currently working on a book to bring the full set to the public.)

Throughout the panel, the team emphasized their commitment to breaking down stereotypes about Muslim dating. “People think we don’t talk to each other until the wedding," Elhady joked. “That’s not us—that’s Love Is Blind."

Abrahim added that many assume matchmaking is an arranged process involving parents. “It’s not forceful at all," she said. “You’re choosing to work with us. We’re just here to help."

The show also intentionally highlights that Muslims can be “fun, flirty, joyful—even sexy," as Elhady put it, while approaching relationships through a faith-informed lens. The absence of physicality on screen isn’t a restriction, but a value. “We’re asking people to slow down and be intentional. That’s a good thing, regardless of your faith," she said.

Mundhra echoed that sentiment when discussing success metrics for the show. “It’s not about finding the perfect match," she explained. “Success is clarity—understanding yourself, your values, and what you really want in a relationship."

The panel also spotlighted the care taken behind the scenes, from choosing culturally relevant date locations to hiring Muslim crew and launching a production fellowship for young creatives. “This is more than just one show," Kheshgi said. “It’s a long-term effort to uplift our community—on screen and behind the camera."

The MPAC Hollywood Bureau sponsored the panel. In her opening remarks, the Senior Vice President of the Bureau, Sue Obeidi, underscored the importance of festivals like ATX TV, saying, "whether it’s narrative or unscripted content, these panel discussions give us an opportunity to educate on a community that is vital to American pluralism but also vital to correcting mis and dis information about a community that is highly misunderstood in entertainment media."

As the session came to a close, Elhady offered a hopeful message to aspiring storytellers in the audience. “This is just the appetizer," she said. “We want more shows. Better ideas. Maybe ones that even replace ours someday. And maybe we’ll help you make them."

Stay tuned for more coverage from ATX TV Festival 2025!