Mindy Kaling’s estranged brother, Vijay Jojo Chokal-Ingam, has a new book out called Almost Black: The True Story of How I Got Into Medical School by Pretending To Be Black. But Kaling doesn’t seem to want anything to do with it or her brother, and because of that choice, Kaling’s brother called her a slut. Because obviously, it’s her duty to help her brother out even if he is trying to get famous by bragging about being a fraud.
The memoir is an allegedly very true story about how he couldn’t get into school as an Indian-American but could when he checked the “African-American” box on the application. The Mindy Project creator is quoted on the front of the book with, “This will bring shame on our family!” In response, Chokal-Ingam told The New York Post, “You play a slut on national TV, and you think this [book] will bring shame on the family?”
He is convinced Kaling is trying to “sabotage” him and his book because she hasn’t commented on it or tried to help him ride on the coattails of her fame. He writes in his book that this is something Kaling does often and that she “engineered public and private plots against her many frenemies in Hollywood.” Chokal-Ingam says that once, Kaling promised to help her ex-boyfriend’s sister, Annie Baker, get a job at William Morris Endeavor agency, but turned around and specifically asked the agency to not work with her. (Baker has since won the Pulitzer Prize for her play, The Flick.) That sucks just as much as not helping your brother get famous with his book about being a fraud, but it doesn’t make it OK to call Kaling a slut or imply that she’s some evil mastermind.
It sounds more like she just doesn’t like her brother or what he did and wants nothing to do with it. That’s normal, not evil. Kaling and her brother had a falling out two years ago, but that hasn’t stopped him from hanging on to her name and accusing her of being a liar now that his book is out. Kaling has stated publicly that she didn’t know about her brother’s Suits-like scheme, but he says she knew all along and is just playing coy. It’s way too much gossip and drama for one stupid book.
Frankly, Chokal-Ingam sounds like a real dirtbag. First of all, what he’s writing about is illegal. There’s are many reasons Kaling, who’s already “made it” in the business, wouldn’t want to be associated with the book, but the main reason seems to be her brother himself. Trashing her to the press (and pulling Kaling’s name and quote on the cover of the book even though the two “don’t talk anymore,” according to The New York Post’s Page Six) is sort of a dick move.
Going straight to gossiping about her allegedly extra-catty behavior and then calling the character that she’s created (and is making a living from) a “slut” is just sad. The sibling rivalry and sexism is real. Kaling hasn’t made any comment about his remarks or his book, and she should keep it that way. Family is family — but if they’re acting like assholes, there’s no need to play nice with them.
Original by Karen Fratti @karenfratti
