Actress Mindy Kaling has responded to the backlash surrounding her Scooby-Doo spin-off series Velma. In February, it was announced that the adult-oriented spin-off series was in development for HBO Max and that Kaling would be providing the voice of the Velma. Known for her comedy roles in shows like The Office as well as creating, producing and starring in her own show The Mindy Project, Kaling is no stranger to voice-work,. having voiced Taffyta Muttonfudge in Wreck-It Ralph and Disgust in Pixar's Inside Out. Kaling is also set to appear in the upcoming Monsters Inc. series, Monsters at Work on Disney+.
Iconic in her orange turtle-neck sweater and red pleated skirt, Velma has been a fixture of the various Scooby Doo series and films ever since her first appearance back in 1969. Considered the brains of Mystery Inc., she is often presented as the most skeptical of the group and is usually the first one to deduce the mystery at play. While Velma has generally been portrayed as white, including in the 2002 live-action film where she was played by Linda Cardellini, it was announced that Velma will be presented as being of South-Asian descent in Velma in accordance with Kaling's own Indian heritage
The announcement of Kaling's involvement was met with praise from a large portion of the Scooby-Doo fan-base, however there was some backlash in regards to her portrayal. While speaking on Late Night with Seth Meyer, Kaling talked about how excited she was for the project, as well as the positivity from the fans. She also noted that she had received some unsavory tweets from a small minority, saying that "people were not happy. There was a lot of, 'So, not Velma?" Responding to the backlash, Kaling that she didn't expect the reaction and that she "couldn't understand how people couldn't imagine a really smart, nerdy girl with terrible eyesight who loved to solve mysteries, could not be Indian." You can read Kaling's full statement below:
First of all, I didn't know that she elicited such strong reactions in either direction ... She's such a great character, she's so smart and I just couldn't understand how people couldn't imagine a really smart, nerdy girl with terrible eyesight who loved to solve mysteries, could not be Indian. There are Indian nerds. It shouldn't be a surprise to people, but people are like, 'No, no, no'. By the way, this is a small percentage of people. But it made me think, 'Okay, we've got to be really careful with this character,' which we will be because we love her and she's going to have great adventures.
While it's certainly disheartening that supposed fans would respond in such a way to Velma being presented as South-Asian in the spin-off, it's not altogether unsurprising. There's a history of similar reactions for a multitude of similar character changes, as evidenced by the vitriol thrown around after it was announced that the theatre show Harry Potter and the Cursed Child had cast a Black actress as Hermione Granger. It's never warranted but unfortunately a vocal minority of any fan-base will inevitably respond in such a manner.
There has been similar backlash when the animated series Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated presented Velma as bisexual, although producer Tony Cervone has since claimed he originally intended for her to be presented as a lesbian. However, it should be noted that when it comes to Velma's race, there's a greater history of the character being presented as non-white. In the TV-movie Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins she was played by Hayley Kiyoko, who is of Japanese descent, and more recently she was voiced by Jane the Virgin's Gina Rodriguez in Scoob! with Velma being depicted as Latina in line with Rodriguez's own heritage.
That said, while there is usually a small minority who respond negatively, the vast majority often embrace such changes with open arms, especially in regards to Velma as part of the LGBTQ+ community. Ultimately, Velma is an animated character who has existed for over 50 years and to insist that character only be portrayed in one way is incredibly narrow-minded. There are, of course, some necessary concerns regarding the character's portrayal in Velma and that it may stray into portraying the model minority myth. However, with the show solely focusing on her and likely crafting a well-rounded narrative, alongside Kaling's involvement, Velma will hopefully avoid this stereotype and bring a whole new dimension to the beloved character.
Source: Late Night With Seth Meyer