Maitreyi Ramakrishnan says Twitch will give her cold ‘creative control’

Away from the hustle and bustle of Hollywood sets and the passion that comes with being a breakout Netflix star, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan enjoys playing video games in her basement.

Best known for playing Devi Vishwakumar, the lead role in the Netflix sitcom Never have I ever, Ramakrishnan has shown her own personality through posts on TikTok and Instagram over the years. And video games are part of that, whether she’s posting from Super Nintendo World or cosplaying Lisa van Genshin impact. On Friday night, the actor will take that interest in a new direction by hosting her first-ever official livestream on Twitch. Polygon caught up with Ramakrishnan to talk about her decision to stream on Twitch, her hopes for creating content for the platform, and most importantly, her favorite Mario Kart character.

“(Streaming) is one of those things I never dreamed of when I was younger Never have I ever and everything,” Ramakrishnan tells Polygon. “But now it’s like, wait, I have friends who do this. And maybe I could do this too. And it’s really just for my own pleasure. It’s something I have my creative control over. It’s kind of your own little self-produced one-man show. But it is also something that I enjoy doing.”

Ramakrishnan posts regularly on social media, but hopes livestreaming on Twitch will give viewers a way to see a new side of her personality.

“I think with any social media platform there’s a layer where you don’t really know someone, like you can’t figure out their full personality, right? But I think with Twitch streaming and streaming video games that I like and enjoy, and even just chatting at the beginning of games and talking, it’s a fun way to put myself out there in an authentic way that I can control have. It shows, Okay, yes, this is who Maitreyi is, who literally just lived in her basement and streamed from her PC.”

Ramakrishnan told Polygon that she is a “Nintendo girl” first and foremost. In her TikTok teasing the stream, her background was lit with the pink hue of a neon light in the shape of Kirby. She reveals that her plan is to dive in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on the Nintendo Switch – this way she gets a “chill game” to play on her first stream. Her favorite Mario Kart character? She has a soft spot for one of Bowser’s special little grunts.

“My favorite Mario Kart, Mario Kart: Double Dash!! for the GameCube the red one would be Paratroopa. I miss the red Paratroopers every day. I miss that little guy. But now, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, dry bones only. ‘Cause I’m dead inside now. “I’ve grown older and I’m dead now, one of Bowser’s dead henchmen.”

Although she loves Nintendo games, Ramakrishnan plans to branch out into future streams. She doesn’t have a set schedule yet, but she doesn’t want her Twitch debut to be an isolated event. Later, the actor said he wanted to play games like the horror/slapstick comedy game Deadly company. Maybe she’s trying to stream Valorant also.

“Of Valorant, I’m terrified to play a competitive game. My friends make fun of me for just playing without a rank. I was playing a competitive game because my little cousin dragged me into it. He said, ‘Please,’ and I said, ‘Oh God,’ and I cried. But my streamer friend came up with a great idea to make it a sub-goal. To, you know, let me play my top-rated game. So hopefully that doesn’t happen for a while, because I really don’t want that, man. I’m afraid. I can’t be yelled at, I’m so sensitive.”

Overall, the culture surrounding streaming can feel a lot more relaxed compared to all the devices that can surround a typical Hollywood star. Ramakrishnan will not be answering questions from the press on set, but will be answering strangers from the comfort of her basement. Given the more casual nature of Twitch, Polygon asked Ramakrishnan if her team had any concerns about her taking up livestreaming.

‘My publicist is quite busy. And I said, ‘That’s great. Because I’m just going to say shit on my stream, and you can figure that out later.” She just looked at me, just a deadpan look. I think I may be contributing to some blood pressure problems. I know I do that for my mom, but it’s okay. You know, I don’t think I’m doing anything bad. I’m not that cool. I’m just saying nonsense.”

All in all, it seems like Ramakrishnan is planning to have a pretty relaxed and friendly flow.

“The vibes I don’t want are toxic things. I do not want that. That is bad. I wouldn’t like that. So no thanks. (…) I just want to have a nice community of people who are fans of video games, but who also want to appreciate video games and enjoy watching something, even if it’s not their thing to actually play. And let it be a beautiful space where people can just talk and chat. And it’s just chill. For example, we can laugh at me when I absolutely fail and sniff every shot Valorantand I’m still playing without a rating.’

Watch Maitreyi Ramakrishnan live to see her stream her Twitch channel on Friday at 9:00 PM EDT.