When news broke early last month that FOX was canceling The Mindy Project, fans were inconsolable. But Mindy Kaling seemed cool as a cucumber (“Hey guys, I’m in Montana. Is anything happening in L.A.?” she captioned an Instagram video that ended with her winking at the camera the day the cancellation was announced). That’s because she already knew the good news: Hulu’s picked up her show for a 26-episode season, which means that casting notices are probably already out for a mini-Lahiri, based on that doozy of season finale.
We sat down with The Mindy Project creator and star on Sunday (side note: her new bob looks great in person) to get the scoop on what will change, what won’t, and why freedom from network limitations feels so good:
It was recently announced that season 4 of The Mindy Project will premiere on Hulu. How does it feel to be going to a digital platform? Is it kind of like going to a new school?
"It’s so exciting because I’ve had a relationship with Hulu for a while. Most people I know have been watching the show on Hulu to begin with so it’s been great, they’ve been so supportive. And they’re doing so much stuff—they have a show with Jason Reitman and another one with James Franco, they’re doing stuff with people who would never do network TV, so for me that feels so cool. Honestly it’ll be nice to be at a place where we don’t have the same concerns that we always had for so many years and it’s just good to be at a place that really wants you. [Laughs] So, I love all those feelings, I’m feeling really good about it." I know being on a major network inspired you guys to get really creative about the ways that you tackle some of the more risqué topics. Do you think you’ll still be writing that way or will we see some differences?
"I think that our show’s always been a little risqué, cause it’s about dating and sex and romance. The thing about it though is that being on a network sort of forced us to be, like you said, artful, and I like that about us. And you know, 13- and 14-year-old girls watch our show and I don’t want them to feel like when they watch it that they are being exposed to something that’s like totally inappropriate and I don’t want to just go crazy because we have less restrictions."
"It’s so exciting because I’ve had a relationship with Hulu for a while. Most people I know have been watching the show on Hulu to begin with so it’s been great, they’ve been so supportive. And they’re doing so much stuff—they have a show with Jason Reitman and another one with James Franco, they’re doing stuff with people who would never do network TV, so for me that feels so cool. Honestly it’ll be nice to be at a place where we don’t have the same concerns that we always had for so many years and it’s just good to be at a place that really wants you. [Laughs] So, I love all those feelings, I’m feeling really good about it." I know being on a major network inspired you guys to get really creative about the ways that you tackle some of the more risqué topics. Do you think you’ll still be writing that way or will we see some differences?
"I think that our show’s always been a little risqué, cause it’s about dating and sex and romance. The thing about it though is that being on a network sort of forced us to be, like you said, artful, and I like that about us. And you know, 13- and 14-year-old girls watch our show and I don’t want them to feel like when they watch it that they are being exposed to something that’s like totally inappropriate and I don’t want to just go crazy because we have less restrictions."
Like, “Parents are gone, let’s throw a kegger!”
"Exactly. And of course I have this side of me too that relishes that. I want to make the show that people have grown to love and recognize, and I don’t want to hit them with something completely different. But where I think we can be different is with conceptual episodes and we can be a little bit more daring. We have 26 episodes—I haven’t done 26 episodes a year since I was at The Office—so we can do some more experimental storytelling techniques which I’m excited about."
I know you probably can’t say much, but I have to ask about the season 3 finale, which left [spoiler alert] Danny at the doorstep of Mindy’s parents’ place in India. Are we going to see an engagement, maybe a wedding next season?
"I definitely think we are going to see some part of what you said [laughs], yeah."
"Exactly. And of course I have this side of me too that relishes that. I want to make the show that people have grown to love and recognize, and I don’t want to hit them with something completely different. But where I think we can be different is with conceptual episodes and we can be a little bit more daring. We have 26 episodes—I haven’t done 26 episodes a year since I was at The Office—so we can do some more experimental storytelling techniques which I’m excited about."
I know you probably can’t say much, but I have to ask about the season 3 finale, which left [spoiler alert] Danny at the doorstep of Mindy’s parents’ place in India. Are we going to see an engagement, maybe a wedding next season?
"I definitely think we are going to see some part of what you said [laughs], yeah."
I figured that was all I’d be able to get out of you.
"Yes, ’cause honestly, we don’t even know. I’m just wrangling all my writers, I have a very small staff but we just started last week so it was like, 26 episodes, so much content. So, that has definitely come up."