‘Gilmore Girls’ and Its Unlikely South Asian Fanbase
The intergenerational television series had some real “log kya kahenge?” vibes.
All Lorelai (Lauren Graham) wants is a better life for her brilliant daughter, Rory (Alexis Bledel), one where she can be anything she wants to be, but as she and Rory visit prospective colleges, she realizes that her family is about to change.
Gilmore Girls, which premiered in October 2000, centers the mother-daughter duo and their small town of Stars Hollow, Connecticut as they reconnect with Lorelai’s mother, Emily (Kelly Bishop), and father, Richard (Edward Herrmann). The show was the second most popular WB series among young female viewers, pulling in 4 to 5 million viewers per episode in its seven-season run.
But Gilmore Girls also won over a seemingly unlikely fan base — South Asians — for whom the series’ family dynamics and social values hit very close to home.