Indian Representation in the Mindy Project: Bop or Flop?

Image Credit: Kaling International/Universal Tv/Kobal/Shutterstock

Mindy Kaling, an Indian-American actress and director, has often come under fire for her portrayal of Indians in media and entertainment. Her most widely known venture, The Mindy Project, has too been dragged through the mud. This article seeks to examine Indian-American representation in The Mindy Project specifically from the perspective of two Indian-American youth, illustrating the nuisance in the media series rather than simply agreeing with the yays and nays. We do, however, find that generally, there is no guide to representation and Mindy Kaling’s boldness to put herself in an industry that lags behind when it comes to women of color deserves more attention and appreciation than it does today. 

By Armaan Sharma and Mallika Saoji

In The Mindy Project, protagonist Mindy Lahiri, played by Kaling herself, is a smart yet outgoing and “girly” doctor. She graduated from Princeton University and works as a gynecologist and obstetrician in a New York City women’s health clinic called Shulman and Associates. Growing up in Boston, a predominantly white city, Mindy lacks firm roots with her Indian culture which is touched on throughout the show. For instance, she dates her very first Indian man when she is in her thirties and even then does not relate to him. Additionally, she lacks Indian friends and does not speak any Indian language whatsoever. She also appears to lack a comprehensive understanding of Indian customs, such as following traditional rituals and holidays, and does not practice Hinduism as her parents seem to. 

However, while Mindy may not represent the archetypal Indian character who is deeply connected with her Indian culture in certain ways, that is also the beauty of the show. She represents a realistic Indian-American who is by no means perfect when it comes to preserving her culture but is also trying to find her own, unique identity. Some consider her to be “whitewashed” but forget that her experience growing up in America has also shaped her and is also an important aspect of her identity. And even with this, in multiple ways, Mindy holds tight to Indian values and traditions very well. For example, she places a great emphasis on her education which is valued among many Indians, attending Princeton and applying and accepting a fellowship at Stanford. She also has a very strong work ethic which is valued among Indian immigrants and more generally all immigrants who have had to work hard to forge a life in a new country and society. Additionally, she has a deep love for food which is extremely relevant because food is a bonding experience in Indian culture and brings people together. While she may not strictly eat Indian food, her values demonstrate her intersectionality and are representative of her complex identity. Lastly, she places a great emphasis on family—seen by her caring attitude toward her brother Rishi, her deep love for her parents, and her extreme attachment to her significant others. Family is often considered to be the number one priority in Indian culture, illustrated by the nature of events such as Diwali or Raksha Bhandan where Indians throw lavish events that revolve around enjoying the company of loved ones. 

So while The Mindy Project may not be the best South Asian representation in some people’s eyes, we think that this show is a work that is really true to Kaling’s own experiences as an Indian-American and is something that is relatable to a lot of other Indian-Americans, especially those of her generation. It looks past stereotypes of South Asians in the media and portrays Mindy Lahiri in an extremely realistic way: as someone who is smart and driven but is still girly and totally into pop culture and is a flawed, complex character. Due to the lack of Indian and overall South Asian representation in the media, there is often a huge burden on the few people that do provide it to make the “perfect” show, one that has the “correct” representation for all South Asian people. 

However, it is not fair to put that burden on people like Mindy Kaling, who are at least creating a space for South Asian women in television and movies, and as Indians ourselves, it feels great to have any Indian-American as the main character of a show—especially an Indian-American women who are more rarely seen. It is easy to see that Mindy Kaling is writing characters that feel true to her experiences with her cultural identity, as many of them have similar character traits and relationships with being Indian, like Mindy Lahiri or Devi Vishwakumar from Never Have I Ever. Her experience with being Indian-American is uniquely hers, and while some people may relate to it, others will not. That is where the disconnect comes from, but the problem does not lie with Mindy Kaling—it lies with the industry itself. When there are more South Asian characters in leading, complex roles, especially those from all South Asian countries and not just India, there is a much greater chance of people seeing themselves represented on screen.