Never Have I Ever stars Poorna Jagannathan, Richa Moorjani on recreating South Asian experience in new Netflix season

Never Have I Ever, Mindy Kaling and Lang Fisher’s coming-of-age comedy-drama was about a teenager navigating first crushes, a disciplinarian mother, crumbling friendships and the trauma of losing her father, that too during her performance at the school concert. ( Here's a quick recap of Season 1 ) It’s evidently a lot to unpack, and hence, the series was loyally and steadfastly focused on Devi, our protagonist. In season 2, Never Have I Ever opts for a wider perspective — as the stories of Devi’s mother Nalini (Poorna Jagannathan) and cousin Kamala (Richa Moorjani) become front and centre. The sophomore instalment, now streaming on Netflix, delves deeper into Nalini’s acute loneliness, and hurdles in Kamala’s academic ambition. ( _Read the review of Never Have I Ever Season 2 here_ ) Below are edited excerpts from an interaction with Poorna Jagannathan and Richa Moorjani, where they opened up about the development of their characters, criticism of stereotyping against the depiction of the Indian-American population, and where they draw inspiration from for their characters. [caption id=“attachment_9813141” align=“alignnone” width=“640”]  Nalini has a brush with romance this season[/caption] Both Nalini and Kamala’s characters have significant development throughout the entire season. How did you approach your characters this time around? Poorna Jagannathan: I love the lessons within the arcs of our characters. Nalini discovers the hard and tragic lesson — as an immigrant, you always tend to romanticise your home country. But sometimes, when you go there, you realise it doesn’t feel like home anymore. There’s another dynamic present with Ranjita Chakravarty ( as Nirmala/Pati, Nalini’s mother-in-law), and suddenly the family of three women now has a fourth member. Further, it normalises the fact that as immigrants, we co-habit with different generations. I love that Nalini got to explore romantic love this season. Richa Moorjani: I fell in love with the storyline and was excited to venture into this part of Kamala’s world, beyond being a cousin, niece or fiancee. It was invigorating to see what it is like for a woman of colour in the STEM field, battling the very real toxic male environment that exists in every industry, but specifically in STEM. I hope viewers feel represented through my character, dealing with similar problems in their research arena. [caption id=“attachment_9813121” align=“alignnone” width=“640”]  Richa Moorjani’s professional life is one of the major subplots this season[/caption] Never Have I Ever was one peculiar show that was hailed and criticised for the same reason — its depiction of the Indian diaspora. Do you feel a sense of pressure to always make a point with your stories just because it has an Indian-American protagonist? Or are you looking to just have some fun with the teen comedy-drama genre? Richa: We definitely want to have fun as storytellers. It’s always an aim to do something new and different, yet grounded in authenticity. But doing so is not as much a burden as it is a responsibility and a priviledge to tell impactful stories and make our viewers feel represented  — the kind of representation that Poorna and I have craved, to watch or be part of. Poorna: Never Have I Ever never set out to be the definitive version of the South Asian experience. It was Mindy’s childhood in a story. But imagine the pleasure of being able to criticise something and say ‘hey, that’s not me.’ Earlier, one could not imagine having the opportunity to say the words, ’they didn’t quite get me right.’ How amazing is it that we have that now? For those who instantly connected with the characters, it’s wonderful. But I wish to see more and more people talk about representation and push the boundaries, now that it is feasible. We are only a couple of versions of Brown people in America. But I would encourage more and more people to narrate their accounts. Richa: This show has set precedent in terms of conveying to the world that stories with a predominantly South Asian cast and crew work. And it has paved way for more and more diverse content like Never Have I Ever.  The series fuses hard-hitting, authentic struggles with comedic effortlessness. How do you achieve this balance?  [caption id=“attachment_9813111” align=“alignnone” width=“640”]  Poorna Jagannathan in a still from Never Have I Ever[/caption] Poorna: It’s a tight-rope walk for the writers.

I often describe the show as “humour sitting on top of a mountain of grief.”

In the last season finale, the ritual of spreading the ashes mirrored the ritual Mindy did for her mother on the same Malibu beach. It is built on authentic lived experience, and Mindy and Lang perfectly capture it with their humour. Richa: I believe it is difficult to show such real problems in our culture through a comedic lens. The fact that Never Have I Ever was light-hearted and joyful while fostering such nuanced conversations about very issues, makes me proud of the show and my association with it. All characters in Never Have I Ever are as human as they are outlandish. How much do you relate to your characters?  Richa: Like Kamala, I am extremely awkward and lack confidence, and find it hard to express my dissatisfaction fearing it might end up angering others. But she is definitely much smarter than I am [laughs]. I resonate a lot with Kamala, as an ambitious woman who has moved  across the world to pursue her dream. Poorna: I am not like Nalini at all. [laughs] Richa: You’re a little bit like her. [laughs] Poorna: Am I? [laughs] But the character is so well written that I can effortlessly transfer all that I have experienced in my life — grief, loss, yearning or vulnerability. Moreover, I was raised around Nalini-s all my life, with their trademark South Asian parenting that has no middle ground. That is the experience I tapped onto to bring Nalini to life.