Never Have I Ever: Poorna Jagannathan Never Wanted to Be a "Disney Mom"
Never Have I Ever: Poorna Jagannathan Never Wanted to Be a "Disney Mom"
Created with the help of Lang Fisher and Mindy Kaling. The Netflix show series Never Have I ever is a drama that follows Devi Vishwakumar ( Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) who is a very determined Sherman Oaks high school student. Devi's main problem is getting into Princeton for the first time. However, a few months prior to the beginning of the show her dad, Mohan ( Sendhil Ramamurthy) died suddenly from heart attacks. The mother of Devi, Nalini ( Poorna Jagannathan) was having a difficult time parenting an individual as impulsive and violent as Devi. The show is written by John McEnroe. Devi's spiritual twin, and the loss of her father just adds more stress to Nalini and Devi's bond.
After the show's first season ended last year, Delia Cai utilized this blog to thank "Never Have I Never to be praised for "tearing up the 'immigrant mom' trope"--something the show is continuing to explore in the third season that premieres on this Friday. After the second season, which saw her experiencing her first love affair following the death of Mohan, Nalini continues to grow and confronts the idea the niece to Mohan Kamala ( Richa Moorjani) has different choices in life in life than Nalini did, and she develops a relationship that she shares with Rhyah ( Sarayu Blue) even though she is a successful dermatologist Nalini does not have a lot of respect for Rhyah's work as a hippie-style California nutritionist. She is also able to relax her control of Devi's love life...a tiny bit.
Jagannathan took a break while filming Season 4, the last season, of Never Have We Ever to discuss the place we see her character this season and how her rage resonates with her, and how despite the numerous boys that are a part of Devi's world the show is at its core "a love story between the mother and daughter."
Vanity Fair: I believe this is your longest tenure as a series on TV. What's the difference between when you are preparing to shoot an episode of season three or four and season one?
Poorna Jagannathan The story has an sense of ownership to the story that's never occurred to me before. The story that I am currently reading resonates with me on a completely different degree than other stories do since it's so closely connected with my identity and my heritage and culture, as well as the place I'm from and where I'm headed. Additionally, the more than one season lets the universe change from a set into an actual home, which is the most significant difference. It's among the best non-hierarchical shows I've done work on, certainly and this is because of the tone set with Lang Fisher and Mindy Kaling and the cinematographer Rhet Bear. They're extremely cooperative. So it's felt likeevery season the input level and ownership has increased. Everybody has worked out every tiny aspect of the family's life and it's beautiful to behold.
Are there any items you've taken control of?
The second season, we have one scene in which we take a final goodbye to Mohan's mother. When we go to South India, where I'm from, the best way to end a relationship in a ritualistic manner is to have the man is lowered to the floor, and the woman kneels and bows at her feet. The addition of this aspect is something that is natural which both Sendhil and me do whenever we go to the homes of our grandparents. It's interspersing very specific cultural aspects like that.
When you take an excursion, you're sitting on the suitcase and zip it up. I can recall when I first mentioned this to Lang she would be like, "Wait, what do you do?" The entire neighborhood comes and you all take a seat on the suitcase. everyone zips up their tiny portion, since the suitcase is either filled with presents to bring home or filled with food that you're planning to bring to bring back.
The show is filled with universal themes. It's the universality in finding love in grieving. However, what is so unique about it is the particularity. I remember that in the beginning of the season when there was cutlery placed out in front of us, and we were told, "No, we're going to eat with our hands." It's like home to me. And I believe that for many viewers, they are able to see homes represented, they can observe details that they would never have thought of being shown on American television.
As you're getting close to the endof the line, are you thinking about things from the collection that you'd like to request or just sneak away from?
I'm a huge admirer of their costumes. Each season they've made a statement. Glinda Suarez is our assistant costume designer. This department has been pushing the way is a South Asian immigrant woman looks like on television. Nalini is a traditional woman, and naturally, she balances her clothing with plenty of modern pieces, however, she's very much grounded in her identity and her origins. I'd love everything in the closet.
Have you got a personal one? It's mine, it's the suit from the retirement celebration in season two.
I recently learned that Universal requested that they use it to be part of their archives. I thought, "I'm sure they do." This was an extremely unique costume. The designer is Payal Khandwala who's an incredible Rothko-like painter and designer. She designed the kurta that I'm wearing in the final scene from season 3. Glinda is constantly thinking about the this outfit could be telling about. It's a fascinating , ongoing conversation that I'm completely involved in!
Yes, there's some kind of code-switching that occurs in the Nalini's wardrobe. It's between her outfits for work and what she dress at home with a more personal manner.
Yeah. It was at first somewhat flexible, but in season two, we were at a point where we were like, "Okay, at home she's in her more traditional Indian wear, and when she goes to work, she's more in her western clothing." However, at work we're trying to incorporate South Asian brands like Cuyana.
The third season of the show breaks an entirely new path for Nalini and she becomes friends! Was it a pleasure to bring this new additional dimension for your characters?
We are an immigrant family , and we've been through some things, and suddenly because of the grief of grief, the pain, and the resentment you are able to appreciate the subtleties of what an "good" immigrant family looks like, as well as what is a "bad" immigrant family can appear like. Nalini is looking for the intimacy, love and connection, and finding Raya is a wonderful blessing. However, it turns out that Nalini believes that the Vishwakumars an immigrant family that is a bad influencedue to their experiences. This is a real thing. We looked into that as well as Devi's very first South Asian love interest [ Anirudh Pisharody who plays the character of Raya's son NirdeshThe character is played by Nirdesh. The fact that Nalini was adamant about the character is a major leap forward for me as a character.
The sitcom mom has been a thankless role in TV history--particularly in a show like yours, where the teen is the focus. Did you have a moment in the script for the pilot or during the casting process that you were thinking, "There's going to be more for me to accomplish "?
I don't think that many realize this, but before I signed up for the project, I made one of my phone calls between Mindy Lang and Mindy Lang. While we were on finishing the project, I noticed "Netflix-YA" next to the title. I wasn't sure the meaning of "YA" stood for. I've never been a part of this YA category. I like to watch documentaries during my spare time. I was really shocked.
I absolutely loved this series and am a huge fan of Mindy Kaling's work as well as her viewpoint. However, I had a open conversation about how I am at a point within my journey, I don't wish to become a Disney mother. It's not me. There are too many stories in me to share and I have so little time to share them. I'm an immigrant mom too and I did not wish for to see the Disney representation of my story to be made into a television, film, or in any way at any point. They assured me that was not what I was getting into and I embraced their word for it.
You were cast prior to Maitreyi. What was the process like in ensuring you had the right connection with Maitreyi?
It's actually one of the most important lessons I've learned during my acting career. It's about events that take place in the space. Being an actor, the ability to observe what transpired within the room has affected how I've come to think about the casting process. I believe that true casting is similar to true love. You can see the person's core. In the past, if I didn't get a role I'd be thinking, "Oh my God, my hair wasn't right that day." "Oh my God, I lost the role because I flubbed that line." "I'm not this enough, I'm not that enough." And it's as if"no. Maitreyi came in and it was evident.
The most notable aspect characteristic of the Devi character is her anger. Nalini generally has little respect for the manner in which Devi displays her anger. However, as a woman in 2022 what does it mean for you to be part of a program in which female anger is taken seriously?
So, what's there to be angry about? I'm dead serious. I'm a madman every day. The ability to watch a character be able to express this is a blessing for all of us at all levels of life. As an adult woman I am feeling it, but I just can't express it.
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