‘The Big Bang Theory’ fans didn’t get to see Raj getting married in the show, but his sister Priya Koothrapalli actually got married in a big fat Indian Wedding secretly, without inviting you!
While all the characters in ‘The Big Bang Theory’ got their respective happily-ever-afters, Raj (Kunal Nayyar) remained single until the very end. We could have seen a proper Indian wedding if Raj would have married Anu or someone else. Moreover, he is also the only unmarried Koothrappali kid, because his sister Priya (Aarti Mann), who featured in the show as Leonard’s girlfriend, actually got married. Yes, Priya Koothrapalli married an Indian guy in a pure Indian style wedding, but ‘The Big Bang Theory’ chose to avoid telecasting the ceremony.
Highlights —
- Priya Koothrappali’s tryst with ‘The Big Bang Theory’
- The Indian wedding that wasn’t even directly mentioned on the show
- Why ‘The Big Bang Theory’ gave a step-daughter treatment to Priya Koothrappali?
Priya Koothrappali’s tryst with ‘The Big Bang Theory’
Priya Koothrapalli was officially introduced in ‘The Big Bang Theory’ Season 4, but her history with the Big Bang guys dates back to 2005 when they first met her through Raj. During their first meet, Leonard (Johnny Galecki) and Howard (Simon Helberg) decided not to flirt with her out of respect for their friend, despite both being attracted to her. However, Leonard couldn’t carry on with the promise and broke this code by beginning a sexual relationship with Priya.
Somehow, they had to break it off since Priya had to go back to India so, things went nowhere. Years later, Priya Koothrappali returned to Los Angeles again. She and Leonard resumed their affair and they went public with it, making Penny jealous. Raj protesting their affair at first eventually accepted the relationship.
But their romantic relationship was never meant to last. Leonard and Priya simply weren’t serious enough with each other to move forward with it, aside from having to deal with the long-distance set-up. They both ultimately cheated on each other with other partners in season 5, which marked the official end of their relationship.
The Indian wedding that wasn’t even directly mentioned
What’s interesting is that ‘The Big Bang Theory’ made an event of Leonard and Penny’s wedding but didn’t choose to make an affair of Priya’s. In fact, the show didn’t directly mention her wedding.
Priya’s last physical appearance in the show was in season 5. However, ‘The Big Bang Theory’ made the most subtle and interesting references to her wedding on season 10, episode 16, “The Allowance Evaporation”. In the episode, Raj’s father, V.M. Koothrappali (Brian George), taunted Raj for being financially dependent on his parents despite being a full-grown adult who has a good job. Mr Koothrappali, during their conversation, mentioned that five out of his six children are already married. This clearly states that Raj is the only person who’s single and that Priya got married.
Why ‘The Big Bang Theory’ gave a step-daughter treatment to Priya Koothrappali?
‘The Big Bang Theory’ ended the conversation regarding Priya’s wedding with Raj and his father phone scene. Actually, there was no direct reference to her wedding, despite her being an important character. No additional details were given regarding her husband. In fact, the name Priya wasn’t even mentioned during the father and son’s call.
Raj didn’t give a surprised look at his father’s comments about all his siblings already being married. Therefore, it’s safe to say that he already knew that Priya had settled down. There wasn’t any indication in the show that Raj went home to attend his sister’s wedding. It’s surprising that the sitcom didn’t even give fans a proper update about her wedding, though she was a significant character in the series.
Do you feel ‘The Big Bang Theory’ discriminated against Raj and his family? Let us know in the comments box below.
