Mindy Kaling will play Velma, who has been reimagined as a South Asian character. Reuters
Mindy Kaling will play Velma, who has been reimagined as a South Asian character. Reuters
Mindy Kaling will play Velma, who has been reimagined as a South Asian character. Reuters
Mindy Kaling will play Velma, who has been reimagined as a South Asian character. Reuters

Mindy Kaling faces backlash for voicing South Asian Velma in new 'Scooby Doo' series


Katy Gillett
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When Mindy Kaling first announced in February she'd be voicing the titular character in HBO Max's animated Scooby-Doo spinoff, Velma, she got a largely positive reaction.

When it was revealed that Velma would be reimagined as South Asian, however, it didn't go down as well.

The new show is an adult animated comedy series, produced by Kaling, telling the origin story of Velma Dinkley, the somewhat underappreciated brains of the Mystery Inc gang, who has appeared in the Scooby-Doo series and movies since 1969.

Velma, as seen in a 1979 illustration. Alamy Stock Photo
Velma, as seen in a 1979 illustration. Alamy Stock Photo

HBO describes it as "an original and humorous spin that unmasks the complex and colourful past of one of America’s most beloved mystery solvers".

“When it was announced that I was going to do the voice of Velma, people were very supportive and happy on Twitter,” Kaling said on Late Night With Seth Meyers. “And so I felt great.”

That sentiment turned negative after it was announced the character would no longer be white. Kaling said "people were not happy" on social media.

“There was a lot of, like, ‘So not Velma!’ Those kind of tweets,” she said to Meyers. “‘Not the classic Velma that I’m always thinking about!'”

Watch the full clip of Kaling on 'Late Night With Seth Meyers' here:

Kaling admitted she didn't realise the character would elicit "such strong reactions in either direction".

"I just couldn't understand how people couldn't imagine a really smart, nerdy girl with terrible eyesight, and who loved to solve mysteries, could be Indian."

Even if it was only "a small percentage of people" who had expressed distaste at the move, it gave Kaling pause for thought. “It really made me think, OK, we’ve got to be really careful with this character,” she said. “Which we will be because we really love her.”

While it's Velma who's made headlines, Kaling appeared on Meyers's show to promote another animated project: Disney+ series Monsters at Work, in which she voices the character of Val Little.


The Bio

Hometown: Bogota, Colombia
Favourite place to relax in UAE: the desert around Al Mleiha in Sharjah or the eastern mangroves in Abu Dhabi
The one book everyone should read: 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It will make your mind fly
Favourite documentary: Chasing Coral by Jeff Orlowski. It's a good reality check about one of the most valued ecosystems for humanity

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Top financial tips for graduates

Araminta Robertson, of the Financially Mint blog, shares her financial advice for university leavers:

1. Build digital or technical skills: After graduation, people can find it extremely hard to find jobs. From programming to digital marketing, your early twenties are for building skills. Future employers will want people with tech skills.

2. Side hustle: At 16, I lived in a village and started teaching online, as well as doing work as a virtual assistant and marketer. There are six skills you can use online: translation; teaching; programming; digital marketing; design and writing. If you master two, you’ll always be able to make money.

3. Networking: Knowing how to make connections is extremely useful. Use LinkedIn to find people who have the job you want, connect and ask to meet for coffee. Ask how they did it and if they know anyone who can help you. I secured quite a few clients this way.

4. Pay yourself first: The minute you receive any income, put about 15 per cent aside into a savings account you won’t touch, to go towards your emergency fund or to start investing. I do 20 per cent. It helped me start saving immediately.

Updated: July 25, 2021, 11:42 AM`