Ask the average pop culture fan about Mindy Kaling and they’ll likely respond about her career as a writer, actor, and general celebrity. They’ll probably credit her, to varying degrees, for a range of projects she’s been on or behind the scenes of since “The Office,” but maybe not the specifics of her work as producer.
Kaling became a producer on “The Office,” but in 2012 founded Kaling International at the same time that she launched her own sitcom, “The Mindy Project.” Since then, the company has produced original titles across film and television, from the aforementioned single-cam sitcom to recent hits like “The Sex Lives of College Girls,” which concluded its third season on Max. To celebrate another season, we decided to revisit every Kaling International title as a primer or refresher for those interested in her work.
As a producer, Kaling has also championed projects that she wasn’t part of from the beginning — like Oscar nominees “To Kill a Tiger” and the 2025 live-action short contender “Anuja” — but this list will stick to projects she was with from the beginning. It’s a list that keeps growing, and we can’t wait to see what’s next (“Running Point,” February 27, Netflix).
Here’s every Mindy Kaling production (so far), ranked.
7. “Velma” (Max)
Kaling voices the eponymous teen sleuth in this animated “Scooby Doo” prequel for adults, as part of a cast that includes Glenn Howerton, Sam Richardson, Constance Wu, and many more. The series earned early criticism particularly for Velma’s vicious self-loathing — ire which was unfairly directed at Kaling, who wasn’t even credited as a writer. The second season mercifully pulls back on this, with Velma back to solving mysteries but sporting less toxic traits (just routine stuff like faking the occult to make a cool new kid look less smooth). Despite the weary Season 1 discourse, it may have ended a longer trend of characters that could easily be mistaken for Kaling stand-ins voicing harmful stereotypes and insecurities. —PK
6. “The Sex Lives of College Girls” (Max)
I don’t know how else to say this so I’m going for it: “Sex Lives of College Girls” tickles the same part of my brain as “Emily in Paris.” It’s full of bright colors and wild outfits (Bela’s ties!), none of the characters behave like normal human beings, and despite recognizing its objective shortcomings, I can’t stop watching. Whether it’s for the same reasons or not, plenty of Max users have joined me in devouring the series, which premiered in 2021 and was co-created by Kaling and Justin Noble. The series follows — you guessed it — the sex lives of its four leads (Renee Rapp exits early in Season 3), along with their love lives, friendships, academic lives, and career trajectories. The cast is always game for a physical gag or potent punchline (even if it’s clearly been edited in), adding chemistry and warmth when they writing may lack it. It’s ultimately more of an adventure-of-the-week show than anything deeper — which party are they going to? Who’s sleeping with whom? How have the girls’ goals shifted? Did Kimberly (Pauline Chalamet) just donate her eggs? — less keyed into the reality of the Gen Z experience than unleashing the chaotic undertones present in other Kaling projects. —PK
5. “Four Weddings and a Funeral” (Hulu)
Created by Kaling and “Mindy Project” alum Matt Warburton, this 2019 Hulu romantic dramedy is based on the 1994 film of the same name and follows four American friends in London for a wedding. When the wedding goes south, all their romantic lives get entangled and the show follows their foibles and flings. Some of the plots work better than others (Rebecca Rittenhouse’s Ainsley was typically compelling), but Kaling and Co. clearly know how to write romantic sparks and a good meet-cute. Starring a pre-“Starstruck” Nikesh Patel, as well as Nathalie Emmanuel, John Reynolds, Andie MacDowell and a very fun Dermot Mulroney, the miniseries never quite soars but it still is a solidly enjoyable watch. —ES
4. “The Mindy Project” (Fox/Hulu)
Longtime fans of course already loved Kaling from her onscreen and behind-the-scenes work on “The Office,” but Fox’s (and then Hulu’s) “The Mindy Project,” which premiered in 2012, is where she really found her on-screen groove. Starring as OB-GYN Mindy Lahiri, the workplace and romantic comedy was, first of all, hilarious on a line-for-line level. The show had peaks and valleys, but the strongest stuff — particularly early season dud dates with a rolling list of comedians, including Ben Feldman, Anders Holm, Mark Duplass, Bill Hader, and B.J. Novak (duh) — was rom-com heaven. Her interplay with co-worker and sometimes-boyfriend Danny (Chris Messina) was a delight to watch, and the supporting cast, particularly Mindy Kaling World mainstay Ike Barinholtz, was consistently, memorably goofy. Kaling created a great alter-ego here, a girlie, pop culture-obsessed character that fans felt like they knew — and wanted to see more from. —ES
3. “Champions” (NBC)
This one-season wonder from Kaling and Charlie Grandy barely had a chance to find the kind of audience that networks want before earning renewal, which is a damn shame because it has a strong foundation. Josie Totah stars as an out-and-proud theatre kid who moves to New York to attend a performing arts high school and ends up living for the first time ever with father Vince (Anders Holm). Raising a child forces Vince to quickly grow out of his bachelor era, but also proves oddly fitting since he’s already used to wrangling younger brother Matthew (Andy Favreau) — who also lives with them — and the entire staff at Champions gym in Brooklyn. That’s right, “Champions” is a workplace comedy as well as a family odyssey, packed to bursting with joke after joke and surprising poignancy in between. Totah, Holm, and Favreau have delightful chemistry, as does the wider ensemble including Fortune Feimster, Ginger Gonzaga, Yassir Lester, and more. —PK
2. “Late Night” (Universal)
Kaling wrote and starred in this 2019 workplace comedy about a young woman who lucks into a writer job at a late-night talk show starring an iconic comedian, Katherine (Emma Thompson). The sharp script has plenty to say about women in comedy, privilege, nepotism and more, but (are you surprised?!) it’s also just a really sweet, fun, enjoyable comedy that is lesser-discussed than it deserves (despite strong reviews, the film made just $22 million in theaters). Kaling and Thompson are great together — and a supporting cast that includes Reid Scott, Amy Ryan, Hugh Dancy, and John Lighgow all have delightful turns. Kaling’s work has focused on TV — and she’s thrived there — but “Late Night” makes us hopeful she has more feature turns in her future. —ES
1. “Never Have I Ever” (Netflix)
The top spot on this list was never in dispute, thanks to four seasons of quality work from Kaling and co-showrunner Lang Fisher. From the open casting call that introduced the world to Maitreyi Ramakrishnan to the stacked and diverse team to a perfect finale, “Never Have I Ever” wouldn’t have been possible without the work Kaling herself did for South Asian representation in Hollywood — ultimately creating the kind of show that she and many of her fans probably would have loved when they were younger.
Ramakrishnan stars as Devi, an academically driven and sexually frustrated teen who’s still processing her father’s death. At school, she’s driven by her competition with rival Ben (Jaren Lewison), and crush on the dreamy Paxton (Darren Barnet); at home, she seethes over smart and beautiful cousin Kamala (Richa Moorjani) and constantly butts heads with mother Nalini. “Never Have I Ever” stands out from Kaling’s other projects (and most other TV comedies, if we’re being honest) by truly letting its characters grow. Devi is not especially likable at the top of the series, but through one relatable struggle after the next, she matures into someone that viewers can not only relate to, but look at with true pride. —PK
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