Indian astrology is supposed to be a great mixture of science and belief. It is generally believed that the moment a person is born, the alignment of the stars, planets and the moon plays an important role in determining the characteristics of the person and his/ her fate. This alignment is drawn as a horoscope and is interpreted throughout the person's life for different purposes.
Most arranged marriages are decided depending on whether the man's and woman's horoscopes match. Important events in the couple's lives such as their wedding, pujas and other ceremonies are also decided based on these horoscopes.
While people pay a great deal of attention to the interpretation of these horoscopes, the role played by them has seriously been mis-represented by pandits, movies and the people themselves.
The most important thing to remember with these is that there is always a solution to a problem. If there is a problem perceived in the horoscope or the matching of the horoscopes, one can always perform pujas to rid themselves of the negative qualities rendered by them.
Just remember that finding a good pandit, who is not just interested in the money that he can make from the interpretation of these horoscopes is the most important thing. Also, remember that while some people may not hold much in store by these, there are several who do every important thing only after consulting their horoscopes. All you can do is respect their beliefs just like you would respect another person's religion.