A Super Bowl commercial called “Are Indian Women Invisible?” portrays Mindy Kaling, a renowned Indian-American author and actress, trying to hail a cab in New York City without much luck.
"After years of being treated like she was invisible, it occurred to Mindy Kaling she might actually be invisible," the narrator says.
Although the commercial is an advertisement promoting Nationwide Insurance, it reveals an unfortunate truth about how minorities are treated in America, especially in Hollywood. Despite the increase in cultural awareness in the 21st century, minorities must still fight for their rightful place.
Fortunately, minorities such as Indian-Americans are beginning to occupy a more prominent role in mainstream media.
Kaling, for one, has proven herself far from invisible. She started off by portraying the chatty character Kelly Kapoor on “The Office” before becoming a writer, producer and lead actress in her own show, “The Mindy Project,” and publishing two successful books. One of her books, “Is Everybody Hanging Out Without Me (And Other Concerns),” was nominated for Goodreads Choice Awards Best Humor and is rated 4.3 out of 5 on Amazon.
Though Kaling is now seen as one of the most accomplished Indian-American women in the entertainment industry, it wasn’t an easy journey for her. When she was a 19-year-old sophomore at Dartmouth University, she interned on “Late Night with Conan O'Brien.” She took jobs as a baby sitter and a production assistant for a cable-television psychic, which she described as “depressing.”
But bigger and better things were waiting for Kaling, now 35, and she did not lose hope. In 2002, Kaling played Ben Affleck in an off-Broadway play called “Matt & Ben,” which she co-wrote with a college friend.
She then started a popular blog that helped land her her first TV role in “The Office,” at the age of 24. The producer called her writing and acting “very original.” Kaling worked hard to get where she is today.
Kaling is not only an intellectual comedian, but also a feminist and a pop culture queen; her presence in the entertainment industry proves that almost anyone with talent and passion, regardless of race, can attain success in the field.
Kaling, a daughter of first-generation Indian immigrants, uses her multicultural background and perspective to her advantage in her career. Kaling’s father, a Tamilian, is an architect and her mother, a Bengali, is a obstetrician/gynecologist.
“The Mindy Project,” which airs on FOX, is about a young OB/GYN doctor, Mindy Lahiri, who balances her personal and professional life, surrounded by quirky co-workers in a small private practice.
Aside from her job as a doctor, Kaling’s character isn’t portrayed as the stereotypical Indian. While Indian-American characters are usually written as conservative and modest, Lahiri lives a fast and flashy life that resembles that of Kaling’s own.
Kaling’s less-than-conventional Indian upbringing is also reflected in the show. For instance, although Lahiri is a doctor on the show, an acceptable and respected job per “typical Indian standards,” Lahiri doesn’t let her success in the career world define her personality.
Furthermore, brief references are made to Indian culture, butnot so much that it takes over the character’s identity. In the show, Mindy’s brother drops out of college, and Mindy does not react well to the news, confiding in her coworker Danny, “
Do you know what it’s like for Indian immigrant parents to have their son drop out of college?” This line may in fact be the one stereotype of Indians that holds true, but it’s the furthest the show goes in generalizing and stereotyping Indians.
Kaling has the opportunity to be in control of how her character, Lahiri, is portrayed on national television. Other Indian-Americans in the Hollywood industry, however, are not given this opportunity and are unfortunately victims of racial stereotyping by the media.
One of these victims is actor Kunal Nayyar’s character Rajesh Koothrappali, who is sometimes derogatorily stereotyped in the show “The Big Bang Theory.” To start, Rajesh has a thick and overdone Indian accent.
The creators of the show insist on highlighting only Rajesh’s Indian characteristics, missing the opportunity to bring a fresh character to Hollywood.
Admittedly, despite the drawbacks of the character, Rajesh allows for the exposure of Indian culture to international audiences of the show, which is some progress, however small it may be.
The truth is that the Hollywood industry lacks prominent Indian actors and roles. There are only a few other minor Indian-American characters, such as Cece Parekh in “New Girl,” who is only half-Indian, and Tom Haverford (who doesn’t even have an Indian name) in “Parks and Recreation.” All of these Indian-American characters have side or supporting roles.
In the music industry, even fewer well-known Indian Americans have broken into the mainstream.
Most people can perhaps name only one Indian-American singer: Jay Sean, who was a one hit wonder in 2008 with his song, “Down.” Another famous Indian-American songwriter and singer is Norah Jones, daughter of American Sue Jones and Indian sitar virtuoso Ravi Shankar. She is famous for her songs “Don’t Know Why” and “Come Away With Me” and won five Grammy awards for her solo album in 2003.
It is often hard for aspiring Indian-Americans to succeed in the industry, since most Indian parents don’t approve of such non-practical careers. But Jones breaks such ground because she chooses to be individualistic and doesn’t consider her race as a block in the road to success. Her presence in the music industry gives hope to many other Indians who have dreams to have a career in the industry.
Indian culture needs more exposure in the entertainment industry. Deterrence from immigrant parents, discrimination and a lack of Indian-American characters in scripts of TV shows are all barriers that hinder success in Hollywood for Indian-Americans. But with characters like Mindy Kaling and Rajesh Koothrappali, perhaps Hollywood is becoming more diverse and open to Indian-American characters. And that, at least, is a step in the right direction.
