TV audiences might have identified Jim and Pam as one of the medium's most beloved relationships, but there's one person who disagrees with that sentiment: The Office's own Mindy Kaling, who both wrote and starred on the show as Kelly Kapur. Instead, Kaling yearned to see a couple on TV that weren't presented as perfect; that weren't so similar that their personalities blended together, according to the multi-hyphenate. As she told EW in 2012, “I love fighting with guys, and that’s something that I don’t get to see: arguing at a high level with a member of the opposite sex.” So she filtered that frustration into her own series, The Mindy Project, whose history we explore in our latest episode of TV. Watch. Repeat.
It was a landmark series, and not just because Kaling was one of the few Indian-American showrunners in the industry (not to mention, one of the few women showrunners in the industry). The Mindy Project also fully embraced the romantic-comedy genre — a genre, at that point, that was still largely seen as silly and trite. But if there was anyone who could achieve critical success in rom-coms, it was Kaling, who crafted a character and cast loved enough to last six seasons.
But how did she get there in the first place? My co-host Allison Piwowarski and I explore that, how and why she cast Chris Messina, and some of the controversies to follow the show. Plus, The Mindy Project's revolving cast door, and how Mindy Lahiri was inspired by Michael Scott.
So put on your best sequined outfit, and enjoy our latest episode of TV. Watch. Repeat. on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. (And remember to rate and review us!)
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