The Makings of Actor Poorna Jagannathan

Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso

Higher Ground

Tv & Film, Film Interviews, Society & Culture

4.8 • 1.5K Ratings

🗓️ 22 August 2021

⏱️ 52 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

This week, we return to our studio with actor Poorna Jagannathan! She reflects on the making of Never Have I Ever (5:16), a realization at thirty that changed the trajectory of her career (6:54), and how she initially processed the absence of complex roles for South Asian actors (11:37). Then, we walk through Poorna’s work in Bollywood (20:45) and the devastating event that propelled her and theatre director Yaël Farber to join forces on Nirbhaya, a testimonial piece highlighting true stories of sexual and gender-based violence survivors (22:07). She recounts her experience performing the play and its immediate political impact in India (31:21). As we close, Poorna revisits the conversation around her role as Big Little Lies lawyer Katie Richmond (38:07), the visibility and connection that Never Have I Ever provides for young audiences (41:59), and her hope for the road ahead (46:53).

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Pushkin. This is talk easy. I'm San Francisco, so welcome to the show. Today I'm joined by actor Porna Jaganothan. You've likely seen her in
0:48.3	television shows like Big Little Lies, Rami, The Night of, or in films like Deli Belli or Share by director
0:57.8	Pippa Bianco.
1:00.3	Most recently, she's a central character on the internationally popular Netflix series.
1:06.4	Never Have I Ever.
1:08.2	Inspired by creator Mindy Kaling's childhood, it centers its narrative around a first-generation Indian teenage
1:16.3	girl growing up in America.
1:19.6	Jaganathan in her work plays the role of the widowed mother who must raise her daughter alone.
1:27.0	Here's a clip from season 2.
1:29.0	I am so sorry I lied to you, Debbie. How could you move on so quickly?
1:34.0	I haven't moved on, Kana, at all.
1:36.0	I miss your father so much that it physically hurts.
1:39.0	I guess I just wanted a break from that pain.
1:42.0	But I promise you, it is over now.
1:45.0	Are you the only one around here who gets to make these rash decisions?
1:51.0	It's just, I feel like dad's disappearing from her lives. I had all of his
1:56.9	voicemails on my phone but they're gone and someone was too cheap to pay for the cloud.
2:01.2	I refuse to pay for something invisible. What if I forget
2:04.7	what dad sounds like? You'll never forget that good day. Your father will always be a part of you.
2:12.3	The hit Netflix original is Your father will always be a part of you.
2:13.0	The hit Netflix original is revolutionary in its presentation.
2:18.0	It offers three-dimensional portraits of Southeast Asian men and women.
	...

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