<ul><li>Diwali is a popular south Asian festival tracing its origin back to 2,500 years, signifying ‘victory of good over evil’. </li><li>New York Mayor Eric Adams declared Diwali will be a public holiday in the city starting 2023. </li><li>Growing popular cultural references of Diwali are a reflection of the increasing importance of Indians in global cinema and politics.</li></ul>Indian immigration to the United States began in the 19th century but it was only in 2009 when the first Diwali diya was lit in the Oval office by the then US President Barack Obama. Since then, the festival of lights is fast becoming mainstream in countries like the US with depictions on popular shows. Immigration brings with it unique customs and traditions of a country and Diwali, the festival of lights, is one of them, tracing its origin 2,500 years back. Sparkling crackers, the chaos of family get-togethers and the fervour over competing Rangolis – all form part of <keyword id="3405" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="diwali-celebrations" source="Orion">Diwali celebrations</keyword>. “When Michelle and I visited India, we were able to join in the Diwali festivities with some wonderful children in Mumbai. It was a reminder of the traditions we share, across continents and cultures,” said <a href="https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2015/11/10/president-obama-happy-diwali#:~:text=In%202009%2C%20President%20Obama%20was,community%20and%20across%20the%20world.">Obama</a>, referring to the official visit the couple made in India during 2015. Diwali is not only celebrated in India but is an important south Asian festival celebrated in Indonesia, Malaysia, Fiji, Nepal, Guyana, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Mauritius. The origin stories may be different but all signify victory of good over evil, light over darkness. In the US, the Hindu American<a href="https://www.hinduamerican.org/hindu-heritage-month"> Foundation</a> has been leading efforts to popularise Indian culture and festivals. It has led efforts to identify October as the Hindu Heritage Month – due to the birth of Mahatma Gandhi and is often the month when the festivals of <keyword id="48284" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="navratri" source="Orion">Navratri</keyword> and Diwali are celebrated. The ‘state’ of Diwali parties in the US The mainstreaming of key Indian festivals like Diwali and Dussehra (the tenth day of Navratri) is a reflection of the growing clout of Indian Americans in the US. Today, over 130 Indian-Americans hold key positions in the administration of US President Joe <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/record-over-130-indian-americans-at-key-positions-in-us-president-joe-biden-administration/articleshow/93741817.cms">Biden</a>. In America alone there are 40 <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/report-dna-special-india-s-diwali-goes-global-2918553">lakh</a> Indian origin citizens, who have contributed vastly to the American economy by being top doctors, engineers and entrepreneurs. President Biden has plans for a Diwali party in the White House on October<a href="https://www.outlookindia.com/international/biden-to-celebrate-diwali-at-white-house-on-october-24-trump-at-mar-a-lago-on-october-21-news-229253"> 24</a> with US Vice President <keyword id="180909" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="kamala-harris" source="Orion">Kamala Harris</keyword> and her husband. Former US President Donald Trump will also be celebrating Diwali at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida today. The Secretary of State <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/international/news/diwali-celebrations-begin-at-times-square-vp-kamala-harris-and-former-prez-donald-trump-to-attend/articleshow/95001470.cms">Tony Blinken</a> is hosting another Diwali party at the State Department with the diplomatic community on October 26. On Friday, New York Mayor Eric Adams declared Diwali will be a public holiday in the city schools starting 2023. “This is an educational moment because when we acknowledge Diwali, we are going to encourage children to learn about Diwali. We're going to have them start talking about what it is to celebrate the festival of lights, and how to turn the light on within yourself,” Adams said. The 11th Grand International Diwali-Dussehra Festival was celebrated in Houston on October 17, attracting 10,000 people. It also involved consul generals of 15 countries in the Dussehra parade. With November elections approaching in the US, candidates like Bete O'Rourke could also be spotted at the parade. Statues of Ram, Hanuman, Kumbhakaran, Meghnad and Ravan could also be <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/international/news/diwali-dussehra-festival-celebration-attracts-over-10000-in-houston/articleshow/94921328.cms">seen</a>. The US also introduced a bill in the parliament last <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/report-dna-special-india-s-diwali-goes-global-2918553">year</a>, proposing how Diwali should be considered a public holiday. In Canada, Prime Minister Justin <a href="https://twitter.com/JustinTrudeau/status/1583230092112953344">Trudeau</a> visited the Cedar Hills School today and made small clay Diyas with children ahead of Diwali. Growing pop culture references, ‘lit Diwali’ parties The increasing brightness of Diwali across the globe is also due to the rise of Indo-American diaspora and mentions across pop culture. Diwali parties across Los Angeles have been a way of vocalising the presence of Indian colours and customs. Actress Priyanka Chopra with husband Nick Jonas also threw a party in Los Angeles celebrating Indian<a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/inside-nick-jonas-priyanka-chopra-s-diwali-bash-couple-s-la-home-lights-up-with-fireworks-joe-jonas-joins-celebrations-101636104693939.html"> traditions</a>. “My beautiful wife has introduced me to so many wonderful Indian holidays and traditions. My heart is so full to be able to share this with our friends and family,” said Nick Jonas. Last year, Youtuber Lilly Singh hosted a grand diwali party, which was attended by the who’s who of the Indian-American film community – <keyword id="1041057" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="mindy-kaling" source="Orion">Mindy Kaling</keyword>, Tyra Banks, Tesher, <keyword id="966769" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="kunal-nayyar" source="Orion">Kunal Nayyar</keyword>, <keyword id="695094" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="poorna-jagannathan" source="Orion">Poorna Jagannathan</keyword>, Deepika Mutyala, Radhi Devluka-Shetty, Indira Varma, Meena Harris and Kal <a href="https://www.cosmopolitan.in/celebrity/features/g25763/heres-what-went-down-lily-singhs-fun-filled-hollywood-diwali-celebration#slide-12">Penn</a> to name a few. In 2019, Indian actor Kunal Nayyar who played Indian nerd Raj in Big Bang Theory announced his <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tv/news/english/kunal-nayyar-celebrates-diwali-in-india-makes-instagram-comeback/articleshow/71816705.cms">comeback</a> to Instagram with celebrations of Diwali in India. American comic Mindy Kaling’s Diwali party in L.A last year celebrated the achievements of South Asian <a href="https://www.vogue.com/slideshow/mindy-kaling-celebrated-diwali-by-honoring-inspiring-women">women</a>. Kaling’s Diwali party for her The Office staff inspired the episode “Diwali” which aired in 2006. The episode even featured Steve Carell singing “The Diwali song” and calling it “The Hindu Halloween”. Not just The Office, there are depictions of Diwali in And Just Like That – a reboot of American drama series Sex and the City – where <keyword id="12148992" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="sarah-jessica-parker" source="Orion">Sarah Jessica Parker</keyword> dons a sari and goes Diwali shopping with her realtor turned friend Seema. Despite criticisms of cultural <a href="https://twitter.com/pewcubed/status/1479880460910084110?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1479880460910084110%7Ctwgr%5E9c87be1b8f1dc22a2857c141222b2f9f4549e61d%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.indiatimes.com%2Fentertainment%2Foriginals%2Ffans-reactions-to-diwali-satc-reboot-episode-558874.html">appropriation</a> that the episode attracted, the popularity and reach of the show meant that ultimately it was a victory for the festival of lights. 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Diwali is becoming a global celebration and cementing Indian identity globally

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Warning: This story contains minor spoilers for the finale of "<keyword id="6430721" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="never-have-i-ever">Never Have I Ever</keyword>."</li><li><keyword id="128682" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Netflix">Netflix</keyword>'s newest hit teen show has been hailed for its <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeetendrsehdev/2020/05/04/with-never-have-i-ever-mindy-kaling-and-netflix-offer-lessons-in-representation-and-inclusion/#3d46f2cf7ef9">fresh and inclusive take on the genre</a>, touching on some serious themes of grief and cultural identity.</li><li>Created by Mindy Kaling and starring first-time actress Maitreyi Ramakrishnan as the lead Devi, the show follows the girl's ordeals as she learns to manage her temper and get to grips with the loss of her father while dealing with a strict Hindu mom and teenage drama.</li><li>The series is narrated by tennis star <keyword id="8975" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="John-McEnroe">John McEnroe</keyword>, who also makes a brief cameo in the season finale.</li><li>Before filming the scene, Ramakrishnan, 18, <a href="https://eu.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2020/04/28/never-have-i-ever-john-mcenroe-netflix/3033186001/">admitted to USA Today</a> that she had to Google who McEnroe was.</li><li>Kaling tried to get McEnroe on board before she even had a script and his kids had to vouch for her good pedigree.</li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul>Netflix's new dramedy "Never Have I Ever" is being hailed as <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeetendrsehdev/2020/05/04/with-never-have-i-ever-mindy-kaling-and-netflix-offer-lessons-in-representation-and-inclusion/#3d46f2cf7ef9">one of the best teen-shows</a> the streaming service has put out since "Sex Education."Created by Mindy Kaling, the series follows 15-year-old Devi Vishwakumar (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan in her first acting role), a new species of nerd who isn't afraid to go for the school's hottie, talk back to teachers, and steal alcohol to get her classmates drunk on a model UN trip.<div type="image" title="Never Have I Ever Netflix TV show Paxton Devi " height="1464" width="1952" msid="75607549" hostid="261"></div>Underneath Devi's rebellious façade is a girl struggling to deal with the sudden loss of her father, who was the buffer between her and her equally assertive mom (Poorna Jagannathan), a devout Hindu with a tough-love approach to parenting.To balance out these heavier tones, the show brought in tennis superstar John McEnroe to narrate all but one episode of the series with a dry sense of humor, giving a voice to Devi's inner thoughts and delusions as she lies to her best friends Eleanor (Ramona Young) and Fabiola (Lee Rodriguez) about losing her virginity to senior heartthrob Paxton Hall-Yoshida (Darren Barnet)."Devi wasn't lost, she was a frigging sexual conquistador who had just snagged her first kiss from a teenage Adonis," is the kind of line we hear come out of McEnroe's mouth, as is: "Devi strode off, confident her friends would believe this b------t story."His presence might seem as utterly random to the younger generations as it was for the show's star Ramakrishnan, who herself admits having to look up who McEnroe was before filming his cameo in the season's finale."I definitely had to Google him up before that episode," she <a href="https://eu.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2020/04/28/never-have-i-ever-john-mcenroe-netflix/3033186001/">told USA Today.</a>"When I read the script for the first episode, me and a couple castmates had to figure out, 'Who is this narrator?' But it was really interesting to film with him. We casually talked to him. He seemed pretty chill."<div type="image" title="Maitreyi Ramakrishnan as Devi in Never Have I Ever Netflix TV show " height="1668" width="2224" msid="75607550" hostid="261"></div>Kaling explained how McEnroe kept coming up during the series development as a mirror version of Devi's own hothead personality."You know, someone who's high-achieving but is undermined by their own temper," Kaling told USA Today."He has really high standards for himself and everyone around him. We kept talking about him and were like, 'Wait, should he be doing the narration?'"Kaling first approached McEnroe before she even had a script for the show while in New York for last year's Met Gala. Explaining her vision over coffee, she recalled how he and his wife, singer Patty Smyth "were into it" and how their kids, who knew Kaling from "The Office," vouched for her good pedigree.His cameo in the show's finale also came about in quite an odd way. "He was actually in Malibu with his wife and we were like, 'Hey, do you want to come do this?' And he was like, 'Yeah, no problem,'" Kaling said. "He just showed up in a wet suit and it was awesome."We shot 15 minutes away from his house, so it was easy."In the scene, he bumps into Devi on the beach as she is trying to get her mother's attention before she scatters her dad's ashes without her. After a quick fangirling moment on behalf of her late father and a deadpan reply from McEnroe ("Yeah, a lot of my fans are now," dead that is) he helps Devi out and saves the day.McEnroe <a href="https://ew.com/tv/john-mcenroe-never-have-i-ever-interview/">told Entertainment Weekly</a> he is happy the show is receiving positive feedback from all different ages, and all different walks of life, from "younger people and kids up to old farts like myself."Although he hasn't watched the show himself ("I can't bear to watch myself or even listen to myself"), he is proud of his performance: "At times, I don't get this acting thing."It's not like sports where you get that immediate gratification — you win, you lose. There's so many other people involved and you don't know exactly how it's all going to play out. So when it does actually work, it feels good. It makes you want to do it again," said McEnroe.Currently, there has been no word from Netflix on whether "Never Have I Ever" will be renewed for a second season, though the show only premiered on the platform on April 27.Read more:<a href="https://www.insider.com/best-tv-shows-to-watch-on-netflix-right-now-2020-3">The 101 best TV shows to watch on Netflix right now</a><a href="https://www.insider.com/jake-gyllenhaal-movies-watch-on-netflix-ranked-2020-5">The best Jake Gyllenhaal movies to watch on Netflix, ranked</a><a href="https://www.insider.com/netflix-korean-drama-love-alarm-imagines-dystopian-future-of-dating-2020-4">Netflix's Korean high school drama 'Love Alarm' imagines the dystopian future of dating apps</a>Read the original article on <a href="https://www.insider.com/maitreyi-ramakrishnan-had-to-google-john-mcenroe-before-netflix-never-have-i-ever-2020-5">Insider</a>

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Diwali is becoming a global celebration and cementing Indian identity globally

Eetika Kapoor

The star of Mindy Kaling's new Netflix teen drama had to Google John McEnroe before filming with him

Lisa Wehrstedt

'Never Have I Ever' star Jaren Lewison breaks down the show's first 10 episodes and what he hopes to see in season 2

Olivia Singh