Till death do us part

This is important. The most vital decision of your life( ok, after whether you prefer scotch or vodka or the whole solid colour vs streaks business) - and all you have is K serials and Shobha De books to help you. Face it, your parents last understood the marriage business when people still thought Shakti Kapoor was funny. Don't expect your married friends to help you avoid the mistakes they made, and your single female friends frankly haven't a clue themselves. And here's news for you - Your male friends - the buddies you trust - cry on their shoulder types - the ones you do shots with - all they actually want is marriage with you or a piece of the action. Men do not do friends - at least with the sex they desire - at all. And there's no point feeling bad about it, it's like feeling upset with your Beagle because he tries to hump your leg. The Beagle does what it needs to, so do men. So, in the interests of women in general, and in the secret hope that I can ruin the lives of at least a few of the next generation of unmarried men - here is the Da Vinci code of choosing Indian 'mens 'in the 21st century.
Family. The first background check. Never marry only children. They have been brought up to believe, mostly by their doting mothers, that the world was created to serve them. Unless you enjoy barefoot, pregnant and in the kitchen - avoid. Elder sister or sisters are also not good - coping with one mother -in-law is bad enough, do you really need more surrogate in-laws? And brothers work for you only if you plan to be naughty. Not normally worth the risk - unless he is really hot! The best are guys with much younger sisters, you can boss over her, give her styling tips and generally establish an ascendance that will last a lifetime. And she might just make you very happy years later by marrying somebody interesting. Good planning is all about choices like this.
Money. Important. Here's the rule. Always go for first generation money, self made men from modest families who have made good. Here's the logic - the guys with the properties and the style and the old wealth always have a lot less then they seem too. That beautiful mansion is normally litigated and mortgaged to the hilt. And these blokes normally know just how to blow up their cash as well. What you need is a guy who was too busy studying to learn how to have a good time. A guy who spent all his college life working his butt off so he can grow up, make money and support you in the style you deserve. And, in turn, you graciously teach him about the good things in life and show him how to spend his dough. Hell, it's almost a social service!
Location. Location. Location. This is vital. If you plan to have kids, you need your parents in the same town, and your in laws at least a thousand km away. So far a no-brainer, but here's the catch. If your mother-in-law is the archetypal housewife, you can get saddled with really long visits. So look for a mother-in-law who works herself, and does not get enough holidays to really be a pain. And if she is a typical twentieth century product, who has probably been emotionally blackmailed all her life, she will feel guilty about not giving enough time to her darling son's family. And will compensate in the only way she can - expensive gifts. These you shall receive gracefully, sniff and then tell her what you really want is her blessings and time. Do not carry this act too far, you will be in real trouble if she resigns in a fit of emotion and moves in with you.
Hobbies. You need to be smart here. A good hobby is much better than him going out and blowing up money with his colleagues or bugging the hell out of you in the rare moments that he is free from work. This man has probably spent too much of his time working his way up to even know how to relax. So find him a nice inexpensive hobby that keeps him busy and out of your hair. The best is stuff that takes lots of time and very little money. Collecting all the bootleg songs of RD Burman is excellent - cheap as chips and very engrossing. Photography is not bad, one camera or lens every two years or so will not kill you, and you can always pose for him if he gets good at it. Golf is dangerous - membership charges, course fees and equipment can be prohibitive, and he will meet other men there who will gravitate him towards all the wrong hobbies, like expensive cigars and single malts. And tell him how completely henpecked he is.
We will talk at some point about friends, musical tastes and sexual perversions, but if you've knocked these four - you are well on your way to an interesting marriage- and if that sister-in-law finally delivers with a good enough catch - life could be very very good.