A look into the life of American comedian, Mindy Kaling, who is an adherent follower of Hinduism. Here's everything you need to know about her three kids and complicated relationship with BJ Novak.
Mindy Kaling is one of the biggest names in the American film and television industry. The famous actress, author, producer, and woman of many talents, Mindy continues to make waves in the American entertainment industry with her work, which is widening the path for Indians to reach the global stage. With two Screen Actors Guild Awards, one Tony Award, and six Primetime Emmy Award nominations, she was recognised as one of the 100 most influential people in the world by TIME in 2013.
Not only this, Mindy Kaling has also received the National Medal of the Arts from the 46th President of the United States of America, Joe Biden. Despite being an immigrant and having no connections in Hollywood, how Mindy made her mark in the entertainment industry is remarkable. However, not everyone knows that Mindy Kaling is directly connected to India. For the uninitiated, Mindy was born on June 24, 1979, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, US. While her father, Avudaiappan Chokalingam is a Tamilian, Mindy's mother, Swati Chokalingam is a Bengali. The actress also has a brother named Vijay Chokalingam.
Mindy Kaling's parents, Avudaiappan Chokalingam and Swati Chokalingam met each other while working in Nigeria. After becoming friends, they dated each other and eventually got married. After tying the knot, they immigrated to the US in 1979. Not much is known about Mindy Kaling's educational qualifications other than that she graduated from Buckingham Browne & Nichols in 1997. In 1998, Mindy entered Dartmouth College, where she joined a comedy troupe and a cappella group. She graduated from Dartmouth with a degree in playwriting.
Mindy Kaling started her career as an intern on the Late Night with Conan O'Brien. In the following years, she worked in a series of renowned shows. However, she is best known for playing 'Kelly Kapoor' in The Office and gained a lot of love with the romantic television series, The Mindy Project. Apart from acting and producing shows, she has penned many books, such as Why Not Me?, Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?, Matt & Ben, and many more. Not everyone knows that Mindy has penned many episodes of The Office, Champions, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Never Have I Ever, The Sex Lives Of College Girls, and more.
For the uninitiated, Mindy Kaling is an adherent of Hinduism and time and again in her interviews, the American comedian has revealed that she is giving Hindu upbringing to her children. To share her feelings about Hinduism in detail, she even penned a book titled Kind of Hindu, a 17-page essay for the Amazon Original Stories program. In her book, Mindy shared that she grew up in an Indian household with different cuisines and heritage because of the contrast in her Tamilian father's and Bengali mother's traditions.
Talking about Mindy Kaling's personal life, she is a mother of three children, Katherine, Spencer, and Anne. What's interesting is that Mindy has kept the paternity of her three children private. Even after so many years, Mindy still keeps the name of her children's father under wraps. However, she has been in a complicated relationship and friendship with BJ Novak, who is an American actor and comedian.
They met on the sets of their show, The Office, in 2004 and became friends after some interesting conversations. Soon, they started dating but were always in an on-and-off relationship. It was in 2007 when Mindy and Novak ended their relationship but continued their friendship. In 2013, Novak, in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, admitted that his friendship with Mindy has been intimidating for the people they've dated in their respective lives as they're 'inseparable friends'.
In 2012, Mindy Kaling raised eyebrows when she labelled her best friend, BJ Novak as the 'Great Godfather' of her children. She admitted that her children have a beautiful bond with Novak, who is a pro in handling kids. Mindy Kaling and BJ Novak once again gave hope to their fans of reconciliation when they appeared together at the 2013 Met Gala. In 2014, Mindy admitted that Novak initiated their breakup, leaving her heartbroken.
In a conversation with a leading publication, Mindy Kaling addressed the rumours speculating that BJ Novak is her children's birth father. She clearly stated that the rumours hadn't affected her, Novak, and her children. She said:
"He's the godparent to both my kids and they have such a great relationship and so far [the rumors haven't] affected my happiness at all, it hasn't affected my kids or BJ."
In 2022, Mindy Kaling opened up about possibly dating her good friend, BJ Novak, again after their breakup in 2007. The actress gave a complicated response, revealing that she and Novak have been friends for 18 or 19 years. She said:
"He's really part of our family, but we've known each other for a long, long time and I think anyone who's been friends with someone for 18, 19 years and at one point dated and now doesn't, they maybe understand this. You have exes that you wouldn't necessarily marry now."
Nothing has changed in Mindy Kaling and BJ Novak's friendship as they continue to support each other on their personal and professional fronts. Time and again, we have seen them attending events together and are often seen at each other's family gatherings. Also, we hope Mindy will soon publicly reveal her children's father's identity.
What are your thoughts on Mindy Kaling's personal and professional fronts? Let us know.
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