Season 2 of Never Have I ever is coming out (yayaya), here is a write-up to jog your memory on the “non-stereotypical” Indian show it claims to be. Apart from the plot being about a not fair-skinned Indian girl, Mindy Kaling's Never Have I Ever predominantly represents the south Indian community. It also has a race inclusive with Devi's friends Fabiola being a mixed lesbian character and Eleanor being south-east Asian, Paxton being a mixed again and his sister having down syndrome is one of the most inclusive castings.(clapssss)
The shows protagonist Devi (day-vee, ugh why can’t she pronounce her own name?) has concerning mental health problems which her mother doesn’t seem to recognize, losing her father at a young age with no prior notification, and having to be immobile by the trauma and miraculously get up on the sight of the hottest guy in school, she just wants to be a typical teenage of the American movies; having sex, going to parties, finding boyfriends for her and her friends even though she doesn’t know whether they are up for it the show is a typical American teenage drama like Riverdale, which Devi’s Indian cousin points out that having sex in high school is a very surreal thing in India.
Speaking about Devi’s cousin moves into America with the American dream, having a boyfriend, sneaking him inside the house, and having sex when a prospective groom comes to see her who she thinks won’t be hot just because he is Indian and breaks up with her boyfriend on seeing this hot groom (bitch wtf?!?!?!)
The show also has its goods, it’s a step from thinking Indian food is only butter chicken and naan but rather masala dose and chutney is also Indian food. The show also brings out very common qualities Indians possess around the world like, taking a box of sweets to the house you are visiting, dreading to meet Indian aunties during a get-together, the common fights between a daughter and a mother all seemed something which happens normally in every household and I could totally relate.
What did I learn from this show? One aspect of the show speaks about mental health and how important it is also to have a family and money can’t buy you happiness as Jessie j would say through ben’s story also the fact that Devi hardly knows about her parents country and is told by her white friend speaks about the lack of representation of south Asia. The show is a must-watch to understand the Indian society in foreign countries and children who have an identity crisis in another country because on television they don’t seem to see anyone who looks like them. never have I ever subtly shows all the problems these children go through for example day-vee is asked by a young girl if she is princess jasmine just because she is wearing a blue colour half saree and because of her colour but she was merely embracing her culture and where is a better place to start embracing other cultures other than television?
So big claps to Netflix, Mindy Kaling, Mathreyi Ramakrishnan, and co. on bringing the closest representation of my country people living in foreign countries.
-Samyuktha Shankar