‘Fresh Off The Boat’ Spin-Off ‘Magic Motor Inn’ Could Prove To Be An Important Stepping Stone For Indian Representation On Primetime TV

When Fresh Off the Boat premiered in 2015, the ABC series already felt familiar to me. From the premise (a sitcom about a family that resembled my own and was even set during my youth in the ’90s) to the title (a reclamation of a judgmental term about immigrants), Fresh Off the Boat was a welcome shift in network television.

Fresh Off the Boat is in the midst of its sixth and final season, and is responsible for launching Constance Wu’s career and making Randall Park a household name. Whether the show’s arcs or characters are entirely factual or not, it provided visibility for Taiwanese-Americans—as well as Asians across the spectrum—within what was an extremely white-and-black mainstream Hollywood atmosphere.

So when a spin-off about a motel-owning Indian family was recently announced, I was intrigued and excited that this new show might be able to capture the excitement, confusion, and duality of my childhood. That, of course, remains to be seen when the backdoor pilot airs later in the current season of Fresh Off the Boat, but the talent behind it allows for a bit of optimism. The new show, tentatively named Magic Motor Inn, will star Bollywood darling Preity Zinta and comedian Vir Das, and will be helmed by Indian-American writer Rachna Fruchbom.

Zinta, a household name for Bollywood lovers, has starred in some of the industry’s most beloved films—her IMDB boasts 41 acting credits and a career spanning multiple decades. And now she looks to be the latest Bollywood star trying to cross over into American entertainment; most famously, Priyanka Chopra used Quantico to root herself in Hollywood, while Deepika Padukone tried her hand with a lesser-seen appearance in xXx: Return of Xander Cage alongside Vin Diesel. Veteran actors Anupam Kher and Irrfan Khan have also successfully planted themselves in the mainstream consciousness with roles in television like New Amsterdam, or in blockbuster films like The Amazing Spider-Man and Jurassic World.

Das, on the other hand, is already a relatively familiar face stateside. After a successful Netflix standup special, Das most recently starred in the short-lived Whiskey Cavalier. While we don’t yet know what Zinta and Das’s chemistry feels like, as a casual observer and person of Indian origin, I’m excited about the prospect of seeing more familiar, South Asian faces on my TV, no matter if they come from abroad or not.

But not everyone in the community feels the same. An opinionated and occasionally polarizing Twitter account @UnitedWeBrown, which is run by an anonymous group of South Asians working in Hollywood, commented on the casting choices, in turn sparking a lively debate. The tweet cryptically read “IF WE WEREN’T CLEAR CASTING BOLLYWOOD STARS IN YOUR AMERICAN TV SHOWS/MOVIES IS NOT REPRESENTATION.”

There is certainly truth in the statement and it made me question the goodwill I had toward the idea of the show in the short amount of time I’ve known about its existence. Is it wrong to call it representation if it’s just power serving power? Does it discount all of the potential benefits of visibility if it comes at the expense of working actors of Indian origin who are getting passed over for roles like this? Instead of an unknown getting their big break, the way that Constance Wu was able to break through, does this casting hinder any movement forward for actual South Asian representation in the industry?

These questions are largely philosophical and can’t be answered in the here and now, and the conversation will continue to be a controversial one. Like me, filmmaker Aneesh Chaganty (whose debut Searching cast John Cho in a lead role that was not specifically written for an Asian) wrestled with the same questions, ultimately coming to a conclusion that feels encouraging. He argues that shows like this need star power to get off the ground, and that lesser-known actors will reap the benefits. “Maybe I’m being overly optimistic but if Zinta’s casting allows the show to succeed, then the writers get the opportunity to cast around her – and THOSE roles go to unknowns, who get the opportunity to break out…”

I remain cautiously optimistic that the show and its casting can be a stepping stone to more representation; a step forward, despite which foot is leading, is still a step forward.

After all, we are lucky to be living in a time where media and entertainment entities are willing to diversify their offerings. If the series moves forward, Magic Motor Inn would be the latest in a recent trend of television shows focused on people of Indian origin, and it wouldn’t even be the only one currently in development. The aforementioned Quantico didn’t just serve as a vehicle for Priyanka Chopra; it also broke barriers and allowed network television to cast brown people at the center of their shows. Last year’s I Feel Bad allowed Sarayu Blue to carry her own show about mixed-race marriages and parenting. Mindy Kaling has a coming-of-age story in the works at Netflix that could potentially tread the same water as Magic Motor Inn in terms of story, time, and place.

There’s still a lot of nuance around the idea of representation and what constitutes good versions versus bad. I refuse to judge Magic Motor Inn before it’s fully developed and airs. Until then, I’ll stay excited that this series is even being given a shot at life to begin with, something that never would have happened in my childhood years when the series is set. Progress isn’t linear, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t happening.

Radhika Menon (@menonrad) is a TV-obsessed writer based in New York City. Her work has appeared on Paste Magazine, Teen Vogue, and Brown Girl Magazine. At any given moment, she can ruminate at length over Friday Night Lights, the University of Michigan, and the perfect slice of pizza. You may call her Rad.