‘Never Have I Ever’s leading ladies Poorna Jagannathan and Richa Moorjani stopped by HollywoodLife’s portrait studio and discussed the incredible final season.
1 of 10Poorna Jagannathan & Richa Moorjani Exclusive Portraits
‘Never Have I Ever’ stars Poorna Jagannathan and Richa Moorjani stopped by HollywoodLife’s portrait studio as they promoted the final season of the Netflix series. Since the show’s debut in 2020, Poorna and Richa have starred as Nalini and Kamala. Nalini is Devi’s no-nonsense mother, while Kamala is plays Devi’s beautiful cousin who comes to live with the family in California.
The series showcased a South Asian American family and became a groundbreaking piece of television. In addition to being a coming-of-age story, ‘Never Have I Ever’ also examines the many facets of grief. The show began with the sudden death of the family patriarch, Nalini’s husband and Devi’s father.
Season 4 ended with Devi headed off to Princeton University and finally getting together with Ben — for real this time. Kamala took a job in Baltimore, while Nalini let go of her grief and may have found love again with Andres. See our exclusive portraits with Poorna and Richa in our gallery now.
Richa Moorjani On Saying Goodbye To The Show
Richa Moorjani starred as Kamala in the Netflix series. She admitted it was ‘definitely hard’ to say goodbye to the show after living in the ‘Never Have I Ever’ world for so long.
Poorna Jagannathan On Nalini & Devi’s Touching Finale Scene
Nalini and Devi shared a tearful moment as they packed Devi’s suitcase for college. Nalini ushered Devi off into the next chapter of her life and also let go of her own grief. ‘The wonderful thing about scenes like either the packing scene or the dispersing of the ashes scene is that they’re so beautifully written that the emotion is just so tightly wound in there,’ Poorna said.
Richa Moorjani On Kamala’s Big Decision
Kamala was offered a coveted position in Baltimore, which she initially turned down at first. Kamala didn’t want to leave the family and bonds she’d built with Nalini, Devi, and more. ‘They’re the family away from her family that she already left behind. So when she gets this new opportunity, it means leaving everyone and everything she knows behind,’ Richa said.
Poorna Jagannathan On Playing Nalini Again
‘Never Have I Ever’ ended on a wonderful note, but the final two words left the series open-ended. If ‘Never Have I Ever’ came back in some capacity, Poorna would be ‘down tomorrow’ to reprise Nalini.
Richa Moorjani On Devi & Kamala’s Final Dance
Kamala and Devi came together for a dance at Nirmala’s wedding that honored their heritage in a beautiful way. ‘I’m actually a dancer in real life, so I was trying to manifest that for the longest time. I really wanted that to happen,’ Kamala told HL.
Poorna Jagannathan On The Show’s Portrayal Of Grief
The series began in the aftermath of Mohan’s death. Nalini and Devi struggled with their grief, and the show explored the ebbs and flows of loss. ‘For me, it’s one of the best anatomies of grief,’ Poorna said about the show.
Richa Moorjani On Kamala’s Role In The Family
Over the course of 4 seasons, Kamala was the bridge between Nalini and Devi. She helped them both navigate life as the connector between two very different generations. ‘Kamala is like the glue of the family,’ Richa noted.
Poorna Jagannathan On The Show’s Impact
‘Never Have I Ever’ put a South Asian American family at the forefront. ‘This family unit is a very important and pivotal family unit to be represented on TV,’ Poorna said.
Richa Moorjani On Those Final Two Words
Narrator John McEnroe says in the final moments that he’s signing off ‘for now.’ Richa admitted that those open-ended words were ‘written in the script,’ so it was a total surprise to her.
