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While The Big Bang Theory fans cheered for Leonard, Penny, Sheldon, and Amy, Raj stayed single, and not everyone was thrilled. But according to Kunal Nayyar, that ending was exactly how it needed to be.
In Jessica Radloff’s The Big Bang Theory: The Definitive Insider Story Of The Epic Hit Series, Nayyar defended Raj’s lonely finale with some real heart. “I thought it was very astute that the one person who wanted love so badly realizes maybe he needs to love himself first. It doesn’t have to come through someone else, and that’s a very lovely way to end a character’s storyline,” he said (via Screenrant). Nayyar also pointed out Raj’s growth across the seasons, adding, “He grew so much in those last few seasons as a character, and you saw him become less and less dependent on all the things he thought he needed, which is very beautiful.”
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Raj’s journey felt bittersweet because, throughout The Big Bang Theory, he had always been the hopeless romantic. He dreamed of fairy-tale endings while battling shyness and insecurity. Yet when the final curtain fell, he was alone, still searching. Fans felt the sting even harder knowing Sheldon, of all people, managed to find lasting love.
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Originally, things could have gone a very different way. CBS had plans for Raj to end up with Anu, a woman introduced through an arranged marriage storyline in season 12. Early ideas even included a big Indian wedding. But after the writers sensed a lack of spark between Raj and Anu, they pulled the plug on the relationship, and the wedding.
The decision left Raj hanging awkwardly while others got more polished endings. Penny and Leonard’s rushed pregnancy arc still stirred controversy, but at least it was an arc. Raj’s sudden return to singleness felt abrupt and, for many, unfair.
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The real tragedy was how little time The Big Bang Theory spent crafting a more satisfying path for Raj. Even without marrying Anu, he could have been given a budding romance, a small glimmer of hope that love was just around the corner. Instead, the show leaned on the idea that Raj’s growth was enough – an idea that sounded beautiful on paper but felt thin in execution.
Still, Nayyar’s take offered a refreshing lens. It showed that Raj’s ending was less about loneliness and more about self-love. In a show packed with science, sarcasm, and slapstick, it was a rare moment of emotional maturity. Raj did not need a partner to feel complete. He just needed to realize he was already enough.
While The Big Bang Theory may have fumbled Raj’s final arc, Kunal Nayyar’s defense gave fans a softer landing. In a world where every sitcom tie-up demands a fairytale, Raj’s ending reminded everyone that sometimes, loving yourself is the greatest love story of all.
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