Mindy Kaling and Bela Bajaria on Telling Diverse Stories

Mindy Kaling knew her hit HBO Max show had a title that would sell. “People are far more interested in hearing a show called The Sex Lives of College Girls than the Title IX fight of four girls in college, even though that’s really worthy,” she said Tuesday at the TIME100 Summit. It’s just one example of how Kaling uses storytelling devices like humor and raunch to make larger points about inclusivity and gender.

At the event, Kaling and Netflix head of global TV Bela Bajaria—who worked together to bring Never Have I Ever to the streamer—talked about the importance of creating television shows that entertain, but also ones that prioritize inclusive storytelling at all levels. “What I like about the shows is they’re not …