Indian American actor, producer, writer and Director, Mindy Kaling is officially honored with a star at the legendary Walk of fame in Los Angeles on Tuesday in the category of television. This is a celebratory achievement for South Asia, especially Indians and the desi community back in America. The walk of fame for Los Angeles city is officially managed by Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. It honored Mindy Kaling with its 2800th star in the sidewalks of Los Angeles. This makes her the first South Asian woman to get it, and the only third South Asian person too, only after actors Merle Oberon and Sabu Dastagir 65 years ago. Kaling’s star is embedded at 6533 Hollywood Boulevard.
Mindy Kaling has achieved big in Hollywood, and added representation of Indians as well as the South Asians at large. A complete powerhouse of talent, Kaling is not only restricted to acting alone, she is a writer and director, and now the CEO of her own production company, Kaling International.
In 2023, she was awarded with the National Medal of Arts, the highest civilian award given to artists by United States Government. In February last year, Kaling received Producers Guild of America’s Norman Lear Achievement award. Moreover, she is an Emmy-nominated writer, Tony award winning producer and a New York Times bestselling author as well. With her talent and innovation, the star has contributed to television with some wonderful work that has entertained audiences across a generation.
Kaling is known for her writing and acting in The Office in her early career at 24, to moving on with fearless storytelling and creating her own narrative. She wrote 23 episodes during her eight seasons for the show (highest by any writer), which landed her an Emmy’s nomination. This was also the first one for a woman of color in writing category. Until recently, she made and backed hit shows like The Mindy Project and Never Have I ever, Running point, The sex lives of college girls, including the Oscar nominated Anuja. For the Mindy Project, Kaling was the star, creator and also the executive producer of its six seasons. Out of the 117 episodes, she wrote 24 of them.
Kaling was honored by her co-star and writer at The Office, BJ Novak with a speech saying, “We always knew you would be famous, but we had no idea how beautifully you’d handle the job.”
In her address, Kaling said, “I’m a woman of color who wasn’t supposed to have this career in Hollywood. I was told there is no place for you here. But I worked hard and now I am here. He (my dad) and my mom encouraged me to be an artist by giving me the gift of autonomy. And these are Indian immigrants in the 1980s and 90s. I can’t tell you how rare that is.”
Adding further she said, “I’m Hindu, and we practice cremation, which is a beautiful tradition…But also I’m obsessed with legacy. So sometimes I get disappointed that I won’t have a grave, but this? This is so much better than a grave.”
Mindy Kaling being honored with walk of fame represents South Asian people, at the same time ignites hope, with a wish that it doesn’t takes Hollywood another 60 years to recognize South Asian talent.
