The Big Bang Theory featured several guest stars and supporting players throughout its 12 season run. Some of the cast members ended up sticking, like Melissa Rauch and Mayim Bialik turned into regulars and mainstays on the show.
However, some were only there for the short-term run, and that included Aarti Mann who was prevalent during season 5. Her character wasn't the most popular of the bunch given that she was getting in the way of Penny and Leonard.
In the following, we're going to take a closer look at Mann's time on the show, and how her character was supposed to be different.
We'll also reveal how Johnny Galecki felt about Aarti, while taking a look at a neat note a fan pointed out on how The Big Bang Theory gave a subtle nod as to what happened with Prita during season 10.
Aarti Mann's Role On The Big Bang Theory Was Completely Different When She Auditioned For The Show
Aarti Mann's journey on The Big Bang Theory was very unlikely, especially given that she had studied to become an actress in a more serious genre. Taking on the role in the sitcom, Mann couldn't help but put a comedic twist on her character. However, she revealed alongside Desert that Chuck Lorre kept telling her to play it simple, and straightforward.
"Whenever we're rehearsing, I'll try to play it in a more comedic way and (executive producer) Chuck (Lorre) always comes in and says, 'Play it simply. You're beautiful when you're simple.' I'm constantly told to reel it back in. I think I'm giving them what they need for the show. Every sitcom needs their straight man or straight woman."
Mann would go on to reveal that the plans for Priya were different at the start. Priya was about to get married in the initial plot, and her final fling was with Leonard. However, she was able to get extra episodes because of the other storyline she was eventually given.
Mann reveals, "The character changed completely. Originally she was engaged and she was going to get married and Leonard was her last fling. We rehearsed it over the week and it became just Priya making a booty call," she said.
"It was revealed to me after we shot the show that (executive producer) Bill (Prady) wanted to leave the option open for Priya to come back later in the season."
Although she wasn't a fan favorite character given that she got in the way of Penny and Leonard, Aarti was received positively by her peers, including Johnny Galecki.
Johnny Galecki 'Loved' Working With Aarti Mann On The Big Bang Theory
Speaking alongside TV Line over a decade ago back in 2011, Johnny Galecki agreed that his storyline with Priya made complete sense for the show. He also praised the actress for how well she was able to click with everyone else on set. It was a positive experience for Galecki working alongside the actress.
He reveals, "I thought it made a whole lotta sense. She did one episode this season, and we just really loved Aarti [Mann], and her work ethic kind of melded with everybody else’s."
Galecki would go on to reveal that the storyline also made sense from a character standpoint. "And it makes sense as far as the characters. She is Leonard’s sort of intellectual equivalent, so they’re able to communicate more effortlessly than Leonard and Penny (Kaley Cuoco), certainly."
Mann ended up leaving the show following her breakup with Leonard. Although she wasn't brought back, a fan did notice that the sitcom subtly gave an update on what happened in her personal life once she broke up with Leonard.
The Big Bang Theory Subtly Revealed What Happened To Aarti Mann After He Relationship With Leonard
Following season 5, Priya's time alongside Leonard, Sheldon and the rest of the gang comes to an end. However, according to Independent, a fan on Reddit noticed an update on her situation, though it wasn't an obvious one.
According to the fan, the moment takes place during season 10 when Raj is in conversation with his parents. During the convo, Raj's dad say the five out of the six children are married, excluding Raj as the only one who isn't.
The fan writes, “Even though we don’t hear much about Priya after she and Leonard broke up, in S10E16 Raj’s dad says to Raj that out of his six children, five of them are married which means Priya is married. I don’t know if people noticed this.”
A major reveal and one that does give a degree of closure, although it is done in a very low-key way, with lots of possibilities and scenarios up in the air. Nonetheless, despite the perception from a fan standpoint, she was appreciated by the cast behind the scenes.
