The Big Bang Theory It is one of the most successful comedies of recent years, issued between 2007 and 2019 by CBS. With 12 seasons and millions of fans around the world, its formula included science, humor geek and personal relationships, especially the romance between Leonard Hofstadter (Johnny Galecki) and Penny (Kaley Cuoco), a couple who glimpsed from the first episode.
However, halfway, an unexpected character put that relationship in check and unleashed the anger of the followers: Priya koothrappali.
This romance with Leonard was not enjoyed by fans, and unleashed strong polarization, as the creative team recognized years later.
The plot, which did not come out as the producers thought, was not a long -term plan; but it was raised as a emergency solution After a serious mishap with Kaley Cuoco.
Priya Kothrappali was presented in the fourth season, in the episode The Irish Pub Formulationissued in 2010. Raj’s younger sister (Kunal nayyar) and corporate lawyer, the woman had returned to California to visit her brother and resumed an old romance with Leonard.
The story between the two had begun outside the camera, when years before they met at Bob’s Big Boy in Toluca Lake, where Leonard broke his promise not to flirt with her and ended up having relationships.
The Affaire was formalized in the fourth season, generating discomfort not only in Penny, but also in Raj, which did not approve the romance.
In the following episodes, Priya not only settled as a Leonard couple, but also began to interfere directly in his friends.
In the episode The Prestidigitation ApproximationPriya requires Leonard to stop talking to his ex -girlfriend. Penny, in an act of maturity, agrees to depart.
Later, in The Roommate TransmogrificationLeonard even moves with Priya, forcing Raj to live with Sheldon (Jim Parsons), which generated an awkward dynamic within the group.
However, the idyll lasted little. In the fifth season, the couple tried to maintain a distance relationship after Priya’s parents expressed disapproval and she returned to India. Finally, both were unfaithful, and the relationship came to an end.
Although Priya was presented as an intelligent, successful and safe woman of herself, her character was harshly criticized by fans.
The character’s profile was described by ScreenRant as “Totally inappropriate to fit with such a dumb and immature group”which made “Priya stood out as a painful thumb from the moment he entered the narrative.”
The reception was so negative that the producers took note immediately. Steve Molaro, executive producer of the series, confessed years after the story was never thought in the long term and simply sought how to continue the plot in the middle of an urgency.
“I wish I could tell you that we thought about these things so much in advance; It was not so. It seemed a funny story that Leonard came out with Kothrappali’s sister. That was at all times. It was never a matter of: ‘oh, if Leonard goes out with Kothrappali’s sister, then we will do episode X and the episode and!’ We did not do so, ”Molaro declared in the book The Big Bang Theory: The Definitive Inside Story Of The Epic Hit Seriescited by ScreenRant.
One of the factors that would have influenced the creation of Priya would be The accident suffered by Kaley Cuoco In 2010 while riding on horseback.
The equine was scared, threw her to the ground and tried to jump her, falling hard on her left leg. The impact was so strong that Cuoco almost loses the limb.
The serious injury forced her to absent two episodes and CBS chose to temporarily modify her character: Penny ceased to be a waitress and went to work as a bartender To hide the injury.
It was then that the screenwriters “went to the vault in search of plots that would not need Penny,” recalled the actress Aarti man in The Old Post Gazette.
Mann was the one who played Priya in 12 episodes between 2010 and 2011. She is an Indo-American artist who studied film address and writing at the University of New York before devoting himself to acting.
It was her filmmaker who included her in The Memsahib (2006), and since then participated in series such as Heroes, Grey’s Anatomy, Suits, NCIS: New Orleans y Danny Collins. However, its most remembered role – and controversial – remains that of Priya.
“If Kaley hadn’t broken her leg, I don’t know if Priya would have ever existed”, Confessed Mann to the Post Gazette portal. Although at first some fans sympathized with her, over time, the perception became negative.”There are people who loved Priya and now they hate her completely”Said the actress.
