![]() ![]() “When I read the script, it’s really funny and it’s such a great character,” she said via Zoom. But she said the creators assured her that Nalini would be a three-dimensional character. She didn’t want to play a watered-down caricature of an immigrant mom when her own experiences of being an immigrant mom were so rich and complex. Knowing that history and learning that the show was labeled under the young adult genre, Jagannathan was initially hesitant to accept the role of Nalini. When South Asians have historically been depicted in Hollywood, it’s often been through tropes like the nerdy, unattractive girl or the strict, overbearing parent. That abundance of diverse roles allows the characters of “Never Have I Ever” to bust stereotypes. There’s Nirmala (Ranjita Chakravarty), Devi’s paternal grandmother with a mischievous side, and Aneesa (Megan Suri), a Muslim Indian student in Devi’s grade who excels at soccer and battles anorexia. ![]() There’s Nalini (Jagannathan), an Indian immigrant dermatologist and single mother who’s processing the death of her husband, and Kamala, Devi’s biologist cousin who dodges an arranged marriage and faces sexism at work. "Never Have I Ever" defies the stereotype of the nerdy, unattractive South Asian by depicting its protagonist Devi as both smart and interested in sex. Some South Asian American viewers might identify closely with Devi, while others might not – but for those who don’t recognize themselves in her, there are plenty of other nuanced representations to go around. She sometimes struggles to manage her emotions and tells little white lies that tend to spiral out of control. “In a world where we barely get token representation, let alone authentic representation, (I got to play) a character that has the ability to have so many emotions and be so multifaceted.”ĭevi is smart and ambitious, but also bold and brash. “I lucked out with a very amazing role that some people could just dream of,” Ramakrishnan said in a Zoom interview. The show includes multiple generations of women under one household, each with their own, multi-season character arcs. But what made “Never Have I Ever” especially notable is that no one character had to assume the impossible burden of representing all South Asians. That she is the lead of the show is in itself significant for South Asian representation. Meanwhile, she’s also grieving the sudden loss of her father and navigating a complicated relationship with her mother. “Never Have I Ever” is centered on Devi (Ramakrishnan), an overachieving Indian American high school student who wants to get into Princeton, lose her virginity and land a boyfriend all at the same time. It changed the game for South Asian representation And as the beloved show comes to an end, its stars are reflecting back on its legacy. The fourth and final season of “Never Have I Ever,” the hit teen rom-com from Mindy Kaling and Lang Fisher, premieres Thursday. “I don’t think there was ever a day I took it for granted.” “From that day forward, every day that I was on set until the last day we wrapped up season four, that realization hit me every single day,” Moorjani said in a Zoom call. Moorjani, who plays protagonist Devi Vishwakuar’s cousin Kamala, recalled telling the props department during a scene at the dinner table that this South Indian family would eat with their hands instead of forks and knives - a detail that was then reflected in the show. ![]() The entire Netflix series was centered around characters who shared their cultural backgrounds, and the team behind it was taking cues from them. For another, she and her fellow South Asian castmates Maitreyi Ramakrishnan and Poorna Jagannathan were the leads of the show. On the first day that Richa Moorjani walked onto the set of “ Never Have I Ever,” she realized she was a part of something special.įor one, she wasn’t the only South Asian person there. ![]()
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