Never Have I Ever

If not for a UC Davis acting class, alumna Richa Shukla Moorjani might never have become a Netflix star

BY JEFFREY DAY

After Richa Shukla Moorjani (B.A., communication, ’11) switched her major from theatre to communication, she accepted that she wouldn’t have a career as a performer. Then, in her senior year, she took an acting class that put her back on a path that led to a major role on a hit television series.

“Taking that class made me realize acting was what I really wanted to do,” said Moorjani.

In 2019 Moorjani landed a co-starring role in the Netflix series "Never Have I Ever," created by Mindy Kaling. The series centers on high school student Devi, who is dealing with the usual teen anxieties while struggling with her Indian American identity and her father’s death. Moorjani plays Devi’s cousin from India, Kamala, who is living with Devi and her mother while earning her doctorate.

Performing runs in Moorjani’s family; her parents met when her father was auditioning singers for his Bollywood music band. Moorjani shares their passion for the arts, and began taking dance lessons when she was 5. At UC Davis, she was involved with dance groups as a performer and choreographer.

“Because my parents are artists, they always encouraged me,” she said. “They’ve always been supportive, but they did have practical concerns. I always tell them, ‘It’s your fault I’ve pursued this.’”

After graduation, Moorjani moved to Los Angeles, landing television roles on "NCIS" and "9-1-1," and, most importantly, Kaling’s "The Mindy Project." Even so, she had to audition alongside thousands of others for the role of Kamala.

Richa Shukla Moorjani (B.A., communication, ’11), center, with Never Have I Ever co-stars Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, left, and Poorna Jagannathan, right.

Moorjani relates to the emotional struggles of both Devi and Kamala in "Never Have I Ever," but unlike Devi, she has never been conflicted about her Indian identity. She grew up in a household rich in Indian culture and involved in the Indian American community in Silicon Valley. That doesn’t mean it was always easy.

“At the end of the day, we still live in America and are still a minority,” she said. “Even trying out for high school theatre, I felt sometimes I didn’t get roles because of the color of my skin.”

Being in "Never Have I Ever," Moorjani feels she’s part of something that will make the world better for young Indian Americans.

“When I was growing up, no one who looked like me was on TV,” she said. “What’s great about the show is it is about an Indian American family, but the themes are universal.”