That helped the show leap to Netflix’s top 10 list after its release on the platform in late April. ![]() The family is immediately recognizable, even though they may be so different from yours.” “I think when shows have authenticity and specificity to them, they resonate deeply. Her losses, her pain, her struggles are all portrayed so beautifully,” she said. “I'm really grateful the show gives Nalini a lot of depth and goes beyond the trope of the strict, demanding Indian mom. Viewers can see Nalini’s grief and perspective as she navigates single parenthood. I grew up around that sense of humor I was parented with that sense of humor I parent with that same sense of humor.”īut beyond the comedic aspects, Jagannathan credits Kaling, Fisher and the writers for pushing beyond the immigrant stereotypes. “I always had a handle on the character’s timing and pacing-the quips are very cultural and familiar. “There’s something that many South Asian parents do-it’s a combination of hyperbole and sarcasm mixed with a healthy dose of passive aggressiveness,” said Jagannathan, who has a 13-year-old son. With acting experience in dramas like “The Night Of” and “Big Little Lies,” she was sure “some actress with much better comedic chops” would land the role of intelligent, well-meaning Nalini, who’s frequently at odds with her teenage daughter, Devi.īut once she did book the role-a surprise and one of the happiest days of her career, she said-she drew from personal experience to create a relatable character as she badgers Devi to be careful with her blessed textbook, drags her to a Hindu festival and compares her to her successful and beautiful older cousin. Jagannathan, who studied journalism with a minor in theater at the University of Maryland, didn’t get her hopes up when she first heard about Kaling’s casting call. And I’ve never had that feeling before on a set.” “The show was set within my cultural context, so anything from props, to costume, to food-my opinion helped shape how things came together. ![]() “It’s certainly the most empowered I’ve ever been on a set,” said Jagannathan, an immigrant herself whose father was an Indian diplomat. One of three Terps in the series-Adam Shapiro ’02 and Adriyah Marie Young ’13 also appear-Jagannathan helps create what critics call a “ fresh take” on a coming-of-age story, dedicated to developing complex, diverse characters. The actress, who co-stars in the comedy created by Mindy Kaling and Lang Fisher, contributed insights from her own experiences as an Indian American and a mother as the show follows the angst and antics of a high school sophomore desperate for a boyfriend and struggling with her father’s death. While filming the hit new Netflix series “Never Have I Ever,” Poorna Jagannathan ’96 had her own take on the title: Never have I ever felt more at home on a set.
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