Even with Kaling's late mother filling the role of "soulmate" in her life, there was, and is, room for Kaling's father. "[M]y dad is my buddy," Kaling explained to Good Housekeeping, "And he kills it in the good-dad department."
Nevertheless, family isn't family unless it has a little dysfunction mixed in, right? Kaling and her only sibling, Vijay Chokalingam, are no longer in contact. In an interview with Inside Edition, Chokalingam explained, "She [Mindy] said that by publishing this book I would bring shame on the family." What book?
Apparently, Chokalingam wrote about how he got into medical school. Specifically, how he shaved his head to alter his appearance, claiming he was a black man on his application, and using his middle name "Jojo." If you're wondering what would drive a person to do that, Chokalingam claims, "An African-American student with my grades and test scores was very likely to get admission to medical school, whereas an Indian-American applicant was unlikely to get in." His family, including his sister, were none too pleased, according to Chokalingam. "I love my sister to death, but we don't see eye to eye."
A rep for Kaling confirmed to Us Weekly, "Mindy has been estranged from her brother for years. She was not aware of his decision to apply to medical school under a different name and race." Yikes!
