The Metamorphosis of Mindy Kaling
Off-the-cuff yet wickedly observant. Zeitgeisty, colored with irreverence. And, most importantly, dripping with such sincerity you’re left wondering,“No one can give your children candy except for you, because it's, like, such a hostile act in L.A.”
She jokes—I think—that she doesn’t make many conscious parenting decisions but she does, for now, have a few guiding principles: She won’t post pictures of her kids on social media and she won’t discuss their conception stories. The 43-year-old is more forthcoming when discussing her decision to become a mom in her late-thirties, when she says she felt the most financially stable and secure in being a single parent. “I waited until I had the means and that made all the difference.” She pointedly addresses the privilege in her statement, noting the recent overturning of Roe v. Wade. “The choice to have a child—by yourself, on your own terms—it was the best part of my life...
But being at the forefront of destigmatizing wellness for women of color in film and television wasn’t always the plan. It simply dovetailed with her own journey and growth—through becoming a mom, through finding security in her success.Okay, I don't want to get fired. I want to be successful “Ultimately, it's about efficiency. I think you can get things done more if you're able to talk to the right people about the things going on in your life,” she says. “I remember thinking,
Despite her candor, it’s clear Kaling isn’t fully at ease discussing the nebulous concept of wellness. She admits it’s new for her to find tangible value in taking care of herself. Who has the time for that? When she had kids, Kaling says, it “crystallized” that she wanted to break down those barriers. “I don't want my kids to grow up that way. And I don't want to be that way for myself.”
“Even when she shares a very specific, personal experience, in some ways, she really writes with an honesty that is funny and poignant but also deeply relatable,” Bajara adds. She attributes the global success of the show—according to her, the second season ofcharted in Netflix’s top 10 in 89 countries—to Kaling’s ability to marry “humor and heart.”
Ultimately, it’s been an experience, Kaling says, in cathartic storytelling. “It's just a nice way to revisit my childhood a little bit, but through rose-colored lenses. And to be like, ‘Well, it could be like this...’” She was at the forefront of a generation of “pioneers,” Priyanka Chopra tells Marie Claire, “who pushed open the doors and said, ‘Mainstream TV, here we come’…[Now] Hollywood's saying, ‘Okay, they're not just a check in the box or a character that you throw in there so that we can pretend to be diverse.
Ramakrishnan says Kaling has achieved that in spades, noting that the multi-hyphenate has made the Never Have I Ever set “a safe space” for her to learn as an industry newcomer. “[Mindy] made sure to hire people who are kind and empathetic, creating an environment where I never felt dumb or alone in the process,” the 20-year-old says. “[It’s] a true testament to her leadership and her priorities.
“Culture largely says, ‘We don't wanna hear about you. Your entire deal bums everyone out.’ If you're a 42-year-old [single] woman with kids, it makes people sad… I'm like, ‘There is hope for us. There could be great stories about women, like me, finding love, finding happiness…’ I can't imagine anyone besides me would write it, so I have to find the time to do that.”Marie Claire