Indians in the western entertainment industry have always been stereotyped as having a specific accent or indulging in crazy Bollywood dance. But now it seems times are changing. The series” Never Have I Ever ” by Netflix seems to be a direction in that step.
“Indians can be easily stereotyped ” This is the thinking much of the western media carries when it views an Indian character in some Hollywood movies or series. They can be either a taxi driver or tech support employee and sometimes are even passed off as some Arab Sheikh. This was the case in many famous and popular Hollywood movies and series like Deadpool, Jurassic World( Irfan khan as Mr. Masrani). No one seems to forget the character ‘Appu’ from the world-famous series “The Simpsons”. That character had racial overtones and cemented stereotypes about Indians in the minds of American viewers ( not to forget the irritating voiceover by Hank Azaria).
Changing times
But now it seems times are changing, we do not find that stereotypical accent that is usually associated with Indian. With Mindy Kaling at the helm of this new Netflix series, things were never going to be ordinary anymore. It was rightly predicted that the audience will get a fresh perspective and in this area, she has done a commendable job. Casting a brown girl as the protagonist of a mainstream series is certainly an audacious job. She was the perfect person to depict an Indian teen in an American setting. The fight to be traditional Indian and to be cool is clearly evident in the series. The confused identity of a desi teen in America who fight such thoughts daily makes the series quite relatable to the audiences.
The western audience will see a fresh new view of Indians and their troubles. Maybe this series might help in erasing some of these stereotypes. We may see Indians getting roles other different than that of a taxi driver or techie. Hopefully, we may see a more diverse cast in the mainstream entertainment industry