- Hi, I'm Poorna Jagannathan
and I play Devi's mom, Nalini,
on Never Have I Ever.
You know, one of my favorite parts of playing this character
over the past four seasons has been hearing
from the daughters and mothers who see themselves
in Nalini and her relationship with Devi.
And turns out, a strict immigrant mom
who lovingly rose her kid is highly relatable.
As we get ready to say goodbye to Nalini and the show,
I'm taking a look back at some
of your favorite Nalini moments over the years.
Devi's mom packing a suitcase full of Trader Joe's sauces.
Is there anything more relatable?
- Oh, this Trader Joe's Puttanesca keeps falling out!
- When suitcases go, it is full of food
and when they come back it is full of food.
The trick is in a household
that everyone has to sit on the suitcase to zip it up,
otherwise it doesn't zip up.
So that's a reality.
"I love Nalini because she's always looking out for Devi."
Aw.
"My mom's Latina and she also tends to worry too much,
but she would also defend me tooth and nail
in any situation."
- How dare you come to my house
and talk about my daughter this way?
- I think the mother-daughter relationship and love
is at the heart of this beautiful story.
They are foils for each other
and you really see so much healing and growth
when they become each other's
biggest supporters and champions.
"The way Never Have I Ever portrays Devi's relationship
with her mom is so cathartic to me
as the daughter of immigrants.
I love how they both grow in season three
and their relationship improves as a result."
Look, I have a teenager who's exactly the same age as Devi.
You know, parenting just seems so linear,
like it's just passed down this way.
And then suddenly there's a weird flip
where the parent and the child
starts becoming a little more equal
and, you know, the child starts supporting the parent
and doesn't see them only as a foil
but someone to learn from and grow from.
And I think as a parent, I think my child grows me
more than anyone else in the world.
And I think that's really beautifully reflected
in the season.
"Dr. Vishwakumar is my favorite TV mom now."
That's so sweet.
"The way she protected Devi when she said iced coffee.
Go Dr. Vishwakumar."
- Do you really think Devi is a danger to your son?
- Of course, she did throw coffee in his face.
- Iced coffee.
- It was iced coffee.
It's so different from hot coffee, right?
The implications.
Protecting family is such a huge theme
throughout the show and especially the season.
- (sighs) Listen to me.
You're never too much and you're always enough.
And one day you will find someone
who loves you exactly as you are, just like I do.
(Devi sniffs)
- That is my favorite scene,
one of my favorite scenes too,
and my favorite line in the whole show, totally.
Something that everyone needs to be told.
Oh my goodness.
I'm telling you,
one of the biggest things that I've learned
is I grew up with like people telling me I'm not enough.
I'm not South Indian enough.
I'm not Indian enough
I'm not Asian enough.
I'm too Amer...
Like, it's just nonstop what you are not enough of.
And I think that is actually
the most toxic thing to be told.
You are enough as you are.
If you want to learn more about stuff, go ahead and learn.
You have your whole life to learn,
but you are born enough.
"The evolution of the relationship between Nalini and Devi
on Never Have I Ever makes me tear up.
It's so sweet and genuine."
I mean, it's such a massive change, right?
They went from being foils to friends
and they went from being just like
this very parental-child relationship
to women who support each other and can champion each other
and be there unconditionally for each other.
And they both have to grow and heal to get there.
It is, you know,
such an honor to be able to see this character change,
grow, become much more present
and loving as a mother
and being able to be there for her child
in a way that she needs.
You know, when I was in India,
I got one of the best compliments.
This young girl who's trans
came and told me that she loved the show
but she thanked me for mothering her,
especially during the time
when her own mother couldn't show up for her.
And I think the beauty of the show
is that it mothers you and it guides you,
even at times when you in your personal life
are not finding it.
Thank you for all the love.
And don't forget to watch the fourth and final season
of Never Have I Ever, now streaming on Netflix.