ASHOK’s FIVE reasons to watch #NeverHaveIEver, the teen high school comedy now streaming on #Netflix. Created by Mindy Kaling and Lang Fisher, this show catches your attention for showcasing the story of Indians growing up in the US. “Never Have I Ever” is the story of a nerdy 15-year-old teenager, Devi Vishwakumar (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) with all her insecurities and quirks and overcoming the personal loss of her father in a breezy ten-episode series.
1. The show stands out for the story line and treatment of the Indian community in the United States. Yes, there are errors and parts that are exaggerated but on the whole, the show stays true to a realistic depiction of the diaspora. Indians are perhaps characterised by things like strict parents, arranged marriages, nerdy children who win the Spelling Bee and ace their studies, aunties who show off and the extravagant festivals that are part of life. Never Have I ever has a balance of all this and some errors like where the Ganesh Puja is represented by a Durga Puja.
2. The sense of balance comes because of a diverse and exciting cast. Leading the show on her young shoulders in Maitreyi Ramakrishnan. It is difficult to believe that this is her first acting break. At Sherman Oaks High, she is the regular teenager whose life revolves around popularity, success and a boyfriend and this is what she prays for to the family deity in the opening scene! Her family consists of her mother Nalini (Poorna Jagannathan) and her cousin Kamala (Richa Moorjani), who is studying at Caltech. Her friends Elanor and Fabiola and the boys Ben and Paxton Hall Yoshida make up the rest of the cast. It is great to see Poorna back at what she does best ( remember that firebrand in Delhi Belly ?) but in this case her talent is under-utilized.
3. A nice touch to the show is the narration and this is done by hold-your-breath John McEnroe, her late father’s favourite tennis player. It is a quirky touch but is a tad wasted in the sense that there is no other significance to this.
4. Mindy has also managed to infuse the show with a plethora of subjects that confront the millennial generation. Issues like personal loss, coming out of the closet, loneliness, discovery of love and social awkwardness that has been dealt with deftly and makes for a nice interesting watch.
5. The show has its legitimate moments of stories that take you up and down; Devi is a well-rounded character, brilliant at academics, plays music well and intelligent; her travails are rather well depicted. The problem with the show though is the lack of a longer story arc, beyond how Devi learns to cope with her grief and finally accepts it. The boys are the weakest in terms of character depth – one doesn’t seem to understand why she is mad about Paxton except for that ‘unattainable’ image that he has; in contrast Ben is a character that has been fleshed out well. Not withstanding that, the grandiose sounding Paxton Hall Yoshida and his sharp jawline and flat board abs make for the perfect recipe for Devi and her friends to swoon over!
“Never Have I Ever” is novel in its treatment and refreshing in that it breaks stereotypes; the light vein of humour that runs through makes parts of it delightful. The highs and lows and mix of emotions are depicted well and one can easily understand how the flaws in Devi’s character and demeanor are a function of her personal grief. Watch it for a light-hearted story well told; there may not be enough for you to be super invested in as the story premise is what it is. I am going with a 3 on 5 for Never Have I Ever. Let me know what you think!