IN HER PRIME

Poorna Jagannathan on of life, her the nuances filmography, and being at the in the right place right time

- PRATIKSHA ACHARYA

The first thing that comes to mind when you think of Poorna Jagannathan is the straight-laced Nalini Vishwakumar, the character she embodies naturally on Netflix's hit coming-of-age show, Never Have I Ever. But what you see on screen is definitely not what you get in real life. On an early morning Zoom call, she's the poster child of comfort, lounging around with her hair pulled back into a messy bun, ready for a chat about the nuances of life, her filmography, and views on representation.

BLENDING IN

The journey to being an actor has been an unlikely one for Jagannathan, who likes to call herself a chameleon due to her childhood experiences. "My father was a diplomat, so we would move a lot, and that would mean a new language, friends, and circumstances. My mission has always been to adapt, cope, and integrate, but I have felt like an outsider my entire life. It's hard for me to equate that to my acting career now, but it has largely influenced that," she says. Born in Africa, and having spent time in Ireland, Argentina, Pakistan, India, Brazil, and the US, Jagannathan attributes her diverse worldview to being a nomad. Maybe that explains her career trajectory and filmography. She's played the role of an Indian matriarch, a bereaved mother in a charged political climate, and an eclectic journalist. So, it only makes sense that in her next show, Deli Boys (described as the South Asian version of Breaking Bad meets The Hangover), she plays a drug kingpin. That's not all - she is also set to play a mafia boss in her new movie, The Out-Laws, which features a stellar ensemble with Pierce Brosnan, Ellen Barkin, and others.