'Never Have I Ever's Maitreyi Ramakrishnan to get special honour at Canada Screen Awards

Canadian/Tamil actor Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, who shot to fame with her role in Netflix' coming-of-age series Never Have I Ever, will be honoured by the Canadian Screen Awards. Maitreyi beat 15 thousand potential actors for the role of Devi after Mindy Kaling put out an open casting call. The show generally received a positive response and has been renewed for season three. 

Maitreyi Ramakrishnan to be honoured by Canadian Screen Awards

As per The Hollywood Reporter, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan will be receiving a special Canadian Screen Awards honour to recognize her impact on global TV audiences. The young actor will be awarded the Radius Award. Maitreyi plays the role of Devi Vishwakumar in the coming-of-age comedy-drama Never Have I Ever, created by Mindy Kaling and Lang Fisher. The show has been praised for its South Asian representation in Hollywood and for breaking South Asian stereotypes.

In an interview with Deadline, Ramakrishnan opened up about the importance of representation and said, "I thought it was awesome. As you said, it’s usually depicted that Asian characters are shy, unconfident, and have this crazy amount of insecurities and that’s their biggest personality trait. But on top of it, usually, the Asian characters are sidekicks, we are side pieces to somebody else’s story. So, it’s, of course, amazing to see that the South Asian girl is the focus, and it’s refreshing to see really."

She also shared how she auditioned for the show and said, "For the first part of it, you had to make a self-tape. My best friend and I actually went to our community centre library, because neither of us has a blank wall in our house, and we live with a lot of people. So, we wouldn’t get a quiet space." She continued and said that she was asked to send six more tapes and was then called to LA for a screen test where she met Mindy. 

Meanwhile, Maitreyi was named as the Breakout Actor in Time 100's Most Influential People. She is also set to star in the Netflix romantic comedy film The Netherfield Girls, a contemporary adaptation of Jane Austen's novel Pride and Prejudice. In November 2021, it was announced Ramakrishnan would voice the role of Priya in the Pixar animated fantasy comedy film Turning Red.

Image: Instagram/@maitreyiramakrishnan