The scooby-doo The franchise is considered one of the most iconic and timeless franchises from many people’s childhood. Needless to say, fans were absolutely thrilled when a spin-off series, Velma, was recently announced, focusing on the mastermind of the series, Velma Dinkley.
The character of Velma is portrayed by actress and producer Mindy Kaling, known for her work in The Mindy Project. However, critics were quick to knock on the creators’ doors, as some fans were upset that Velma’s character was portrayed as South Asian.
Also Read: Scooby-Doo Spin-Off Starring Mindy Kaling Will Be For Mature Audiences, Actor Reveals
Mindy Kaling faces backlash
Also Read: ‘OMG LESBIAN VELMA FINALLY CANON IN LETS GO FILMS’: Fans Delighted As Velma Is Officially Lesbian In New Scooby-Doo Movie
At New York Comic Con, Mindy Kaling opened up about the critics Velma is confronted for the character of South Asian descent. She said she’s “constantly surprised » by the way people tend to react to everything on social media, and that while they’re iconic, the characters aren’t defined by their skin color. Kaling also shared how young Indian-American girls can relate to the new portrayal of Velma.
“I think the characters in this movie are so iconic, but the gang is in no way defined by their whiteness, except for Fred. I think most Indian-American girls, when they see this skeptical, hard-working, underappreciated character, can relate to her.
When he appeared on Late night with Seth Meyers, Kaling revealed that when it was announced that she would be giving voice to Velma, she received an overwhelmingly positive response from fans. However, the positive quickly turned negative when HBO Max revealed Velma’s South Asian origin. She said it was disconcerting how people couldn’t accept that a “smart, nerdy girl with terrible eyesight who loved solving mysteries” could very well be Indian.
Office the actor also went ahead and compared Velma at Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, saying it featured characterizations of beloved characters that are unconventional.
Also Read: ‘Gotta Put All The Colors Of The Rainbow In It’: Fans Stunned As HBO Max’s Adults-Only Series VELMA Features Diverse Shaggy, Daphne and Fred
What to expect from Velma
Apart from the mentioned changes, Mindy Kaling also revealed that Velma will have “Unresolved Sexual Tension with Lots of Characters” after the character was officially announced as a lesbian.
“This journey of self-discovery for her is something that really drew us to this project and this character. So we want to honor other interpretations and what we think feels really modern.
She said that the vast majority of people are pretty excited about the new changes to the show and that “the show is for them. She certainly makes the point that a lot of people are really excited about the various casting choices, including Shaggy being portrayed as black and Daphne as Asian. She also said that since Velma is a character so close to people’s hearts, everyone who played a role in the making of the series had to be extra careful with the character. She added that despite all the criticism, Velma was going to have great adventures.
Velma will be available to stream in 2023 on HBO Max.
Source: Screen Rant
