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Teen Vogue Summit 2021: Mindy Kaling and Maitreyi Ramakrishnan get vocal about South Asian representation
Mindy Kaling and Maitreyi Ramakrishnan step out together for the 2021 Teen Vogue Summit. Scroll to know what they spoke about.
On Saturday (December 4), Mindy Kaling and Maitreyi Ramakrishnan attended the 2021 Teen Vogue Summit & Block Party in Los Angeles. The two actresses took the stage to discuss their Netflix series, Never Have I Ever, which is a major hit on Netflix. However, the two also spoke on South Asian representation in the media and entertainment industry.
The panelists addressed the difficulties they've had in reconciling true South Asian portrayal with the series' more outlandish humour. Both expressed a desire to produce a series that reflects the experiences of all Indian-American youth, rather than just one – the fictitious Devi. “I just wanted my lead to be as big of a comedy character as Michael [Scott],” Kaling said, as per Teen Vogue, alluding to her time spent playing Kelly Kapoor in The Office, for which she also worked as a director, writer, and executive producer. “If you have a story that is true and dear to your heart, it is worth telling,” Ramakrishnan said. “There are people that want to hear it.”
The duo then focused on the show's frequent portrayal of treatment, namely exchanges between Ramakrishnan's character Devi and her psychologist, Jamie Ryan, played by Niecy Nash. They spoke about how seeking mental health assistance can be considered taboo in certain South Asian cultures. “Everyone should go to therapy,” Ramakrishnan said as per Teen Vogue. “It was actually Never Have I Ever that made me realize ‘Yeah, damn, therapy is important."
Meanwhile, Kaling concluded the session with some words of wisdom. “There’s no one more attractive than a young woman of color in a writer’s room in Hollywood,” Kaling said. “It’s your time.” Interestingly, Ramakrishnan had a similar sentiment, conceding that there is still a long way to go for South Asian representation, but that every move matters.
