Kaling was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts to Indian Hindu parents. Her mother was a doctor while her father was an architect. She was named "Mindy" after the character in the television series Mork & Mindy. She describes herself as a child calling herself "a respectful and hardworking wallflower". She took up acting when she attended Dartmouth College. She took a break from college for a semester to intern with Late Night with Conan O'Brien. Kaling was a member of Dartmouth's improv troupe "The Dog Day Players". She also created "Badly Drawn Girl". a comic strip for the Dartmouth newspaper. In the play "+Matt & Ben" she played Ben Affleck. It was featured on Time Magazine"s 2003 "Top Ten Theatrical Events of the Year". She graduated in 2001.