The initial reception to Aarti Mann’s Priya Koothrappali was pretty decent, as she seemed like the perfect match for Leonard until she wasn’t. Although it’s easy to see why the consensus surrounding her character became very divisive by the time her tenure in the sitcom concluded, it also didn’t help that Priya lacked any comical appeal like the rest of the cast.
Interestingly, the latter issue with her character stemmed from Chuck Lorre’s decision, as Mann later confessed that she was specifically told not to be funny in her role.
Priya Koothrappali was stripped of any comedic appeal by Chuck Lorre
Considering the prime focus of The Big Bang Theory was to offer viewers a healthy dose of laughter, the decision to hire Aarti Mann for the show seemed like an off-choice, as the actress didn’t come from any comedy background. While The Recruit star herself had no answer to it, given how her character played out in the sitcom, it’s easy to see why Lorre opted to go against a comedy veteran for the gig.
Moreover, Mann was specifically told by Lorre to avoid being funny during rehearsals (via Deseret News), and urged the actress to “Play it simply”.
Whenever we’re rehearsing, I’ll try to play it in a more comedic way and (executive producer) Chuck (Lorre) always comes in and says, ‘Play it simply. You’re beautiful when you’re simple.’ I’m constantly told to reel it back in. I think I’m giving them what they need for the show. Every sitcom needs their straight man or straight woman.
Although she did a great job within the confinements of Chuck Lorre‘s Cues, to this date, Priya remains a divisive figure among fans, especially because of her demeanor in the latter half of season 4.
Johnny Galecki found Priya perfect for Leonard
Opposed to the fandom’s stance on the character, her onscreen love interest had nothing but nice to say about Mann’s brief tenure in the sitcom. Even though things do eventually hit the fan because of Priya’s controlling behavior, during her initial inclusion into the narrative, Johnny Galecki found Mann’s Priya a better match for Leonard than Penny (via TVLine).
I thought it made a whole lotta sense. She did one episode this season, and we just really loved Aarti [Mann], and her work ethic kind of melded with everybody else’s. And it makes sense as far as the characters. She is Leonard’s sort of intellectual equivalent, so they’re able to communicate more effortlessly than Leonard and Penny, certainly.
As for Mann’s outlook on Priya’s shift as a character, the actress expressed that it was fun to see her change, even though it did leave a sour taste in fans’ mouths.
The Big Bang Theory is available to stream on Max.
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