A quiet passion
Brunch|August 05, 2023
For actor Poorna Jagannathan, fame was never the end goal. Now that she's tasted success, playing a feisty, funny mom on Never Have I Ever, she's realigning her priorities
Arshia Dhar
A quiet passion

Poorna Jagannathan is surprised to learn that IMDB lists 53 projects to her credit, given that she debuted only in 2004. "I read that and it just hit me," says the 50-year-old actor, laughing. Even the two-decade-long journey has been riddled with pauses. "Most of my career, there were like two tiny projects a year. There was no pace; it was a snail's pace. There were no roles for women who look like me," she says.

Until her runaway Netflix hit Never Have I Ever, which concluded with a fourth season in June, few viewers knew Jagannathan. She'd had a breakthrough role in the HBO miniseries The Night Of (2016), in which she played Safar Khan, a Pakistani in New York, whose son is wrongly accused of murder. She'd shone in smaller but potent roles in Delhi Belly (2011), Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (2013), and Big Little Lies (2017-'19) and Better Call Saul (2015-'22).

Never Have I Ever, then, is the surprise jewel. Jagannathan plays Nalini, the widowed, grieving mother to precocious teen Devi (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan). In a show about high schoolers dealing with heartbreaks and hormones, that relationship forms the softer core. Their chemistry is epic: "Pray you get into Princeton," Nalini tells Devi in Season One. "Don't waste your prayers on stupid things like world peace."

On the show, created by Mindy Kaling and Lang Fisher, Jagannathan plays an obsessive Type-A mother, but departs from lazy Brown mom caricatures. Nalini acknowledges her desires when she has a fling with a fellow doctor. She has ambitions and values outside of her position as a mother. In the later seasons, she supports her niecein-law Kamala and her mother-in-law Nirmala in their endeavours to find love.

Diese Geschichte stammt aus der August 05, 2023-Ausgabe von Brunch.

Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.

Diese Geschichte stammt aus der August 05, 2023-Ausgabe von Brunch.

Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.

WEITERE ARTIKEL AUS BRUNCHAlle anzeigen
Avantika Dassani
Brunch

Avantika Dassani

Actor, @AvantikaDassani

time-read
1 min  |
November 23, 2024
Keep your i on this BMW
Brunch

Keep your i on this BMW

The brand's beloved sedan has now gone electric. The i5 M60 has a sci-fi roar and razor-sharp graphics. It's worth the hype

time-read
2 Minuten  |
November 23, 2024
Why adapt when you can evolve?
Brunch

Why adapt when you can evolve?

Sometimes, the movie or show does it better than the book it is based on. Here's when to stream not flip

time-read
2 Minuten  |
November 23, 2024
Sharp edges, blunt words
Brunch

Sharp edges, blunt words

British chef Heston Blumenthal has gone public about his struggle with ADHD and bipolar syndrome. He hopes it calms kitchens down. It's hot in there already

time-read
3 Minuten  |
November 23, 2024
The suitable boy
Brunch

The suitable boy

He's played lovers, taxi drivers, street rats and rich brats. He's redefining what it means to be the token Brown boy on set. But would he be on a reality show? Ishaan Khatter tells us why he's a career chameleon and how he got here

time-read
4 Minuten  |
November 23, 2024
Stay stylish in your cubicle
Brunch

Stay stylish in your cubicle

Everyone's back at the office. Covid flexibilities are long forgotten. But being comfortable is still key. So, what are we wearing to work?

time-read
2 Minuten  |
November 23, 2024
Fit check? Look behind you
Brunch

Fit check? Look behind you

In gyms, someone is always filming. We are all in the frame without meaning to be. Is privacy at odds with fitness goals? Is consent even possible with all those mirrors?

time-read
2 Minuten  |
November 23, 2024
Hey, I found you online
Brunch

Hey, I found you online

Baby pics, emo selfies, old tweets outing the ex. If it makes you cringe, it makes HR departments do too. Here's how to clean up your digital footprint

time-read
3 Minuten  |
November 23, 2024
Is It Scrolling Or Screening?
Brunch

Is It Scrolling Or Screening?

Being on the phone while the TV plays is the new normal. Just don't do it when there's company. A case for what it means to be present

time-read
2 Minuten  |
November 16, 2024
This week, we're...
Brunch

This week, we're...

Preferring the spinoff.

time-read
2 Minuten  |
November 16, 2024