By iDominick via Wikimedia Commons
(Editor’s Note: Consider this your spoiler warning)
By Tanvi Wattal
AsAmNews Intern
After six seasons, The Mindy Project, created by actor, producer and writer Mindy Kaling, ended this week in a way that stayed true to its romantic comedy genre, where Danny Castellano and Mindy Lahiri – the “will-they-wont-they couple”, as the Washington Post put it-
end up together.
“It Had To Be You”, the last episode of the show, culminates with Mindy saving her successful business and getting back together with her one true love, Danny. Although they were engaged before, he never truly accepted her passion to work.
For six seasons, the show centered around Mindy Lahiri in her pursuit to find true love while balancing her dream career as a bynecologist.
Kaling, however, wanted to end the show on her own terms with both a career and love. In the process, she proved to the world that it is possible to be career focused and a good mother.
It was Danny, at the end, who had a change of heart and saw how important being a doctor was to her. “You helped so many people, and it hasn’t affected you as a mom,” Danny said. “I didn’t see it back then, but I was wrong”.
The theme of change is close to Kaling’s life. She told Entertainment Weekly, “I started the series thinking that people don’t really change that much, and if they do, it’s like 10 or 15 percent,” but by the end of the series, we’ve found Mindy’s changed a little bit more than that.”
As the main actor of a hit TV show that aired both on Fox and Hulu, Kaling played a pivotal role in breaking the traditional “girl next door” or “blonde hair, and blue eyes” image of a leading lady. Seeing a successful Asian American actress on screen has, and will, inspire others to follow in her path.
Breaking stereotypes can be difficult, but Kaling proved that it is possible by doing so in regards to both gender and race. No one should settle for an “exotic” or stereotypical role, nor should they be denied lead roles, solely on the basis of their race.
Six years ago I created a show called #TheMindyProject and got to play the lead. Not the sassy friend or nagging wife. It completely changed my life. 117 episodes later, it’s ending, on my own terms. That’s so rare, and I just want to say how grateful I am. Love forever, MK ❤️
— Mindy Kaling (@mindykaling) November 14, 2017
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In the future, we hope to see more of her progressive work!
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