Mindy Kaling is opening up about her decision to reimagine the character of Velma in her upcoming Scooby-Doo spinoff series.
Kaling, 43, voices the titular character in her new series Velma, of which she is also the executive producer. In a new conversation with Entertainment Weekly, the Never Have I Ever creator discussed why she decided to make Velma Indian this time around.
“We knew it would be fun for me to play Velma, but we had a conversation where Velma is white, and we have this new choice to do the show and If I’m voicing her, should she be white or should she not?” Kaling told the outlet at New York Comic Con on Thursday, Oct. 6.
She then went on to explain that she was inspired by Into the Spider-Verse, telling the publication, “It’s animation, we can do anything.”
“The essence of Velma is not necessarily tied to her whiteness. And I identify so much as her character, and I think so many people do, so it’s like, yeah, let’s make her Indian in this series.”
After seeing how the animated South Asian version of Velma looked, The Mindy Project star stated, “It felt like it really kept the heart of the show.”
(scroll to keep reading)
But not everyone has been receptive to the change, as some critics on social media have reacted poorly to Kaling’s Velma.
The Office alum told Insider that she is “constantly surprised by reactions to everything on social media.”
“I think of the characters in this as so iconic, but in no way is the gang defined by their whiteness, except for Fred,” she added. “So I was a little bit surprised and I think most Indian-American girls when they see this skeptical, hardworking, kind of under-appreciated character, can identify with her.”
Luckily, Kaling notes, “I think the vast majority of people are excited and ready for it and the show is for them.”
Velma is slated to premiere on HBO Max sometime in 2023.
More News:
