Out of 15,000 applicants, Mindy Kaling picked newcomer Maitreyi Ramakrishnan in the lead role in her comedy series, which Netflix has committed to 10 episodes so far.
“We feel so much excitement to be bringing this story to life, and a responsibility, too,” as Kaling announced the casting choice on Twitter. “Depicting what it’s like to be a young Desi woman right now — a real girl with real desires, ambitions & problems. Not just Indian American culture presented to us as side characters on a show.”
The Toronto-based actress will play Devi, an overachieving high school sophomore who has a short fuse that gets her into difficult situations. The series will follow her life as a modern-day first generation Indian American teenage girl, according to Variety.
The as-yet-untitled series, which received a 10-episode order in March, was co-created by Kaling and Lang Fisher, with the latter also set to serve as showrunner. Both Kaling and Fisher will executive produce along with Howard Klein and David Miner.
The series was set up under Kaling’s overall deal at Universal Television. The show will be produced by Warner Bros. Television.
Kaling described how the series came to be in an interview with Variety: “Netflix approached me about doing a series on young Mindy,” she said. “I wasn’t as interested in telling a period piece about an Indian girl growing up in the ’80s, but I told them I’d love to do a show about a 15 year old Indian girl now.”
Casting for the rest of the sitcom’s characters hasn’t been announced.
Kaling co-stars with Emma Thompson in Late Night, which is now in the theaters and has the 10-episode romantic comedy, Four Weddings and a Funeral , a remake of the popular movie, premiering on Hulu July 31.
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