CBS' The Big Bang Theory wrapped up in 2019. But for some reason, he never had a real personal arc throughout the show's run, which many fans weren't thrilled about.
The original pilot for The Big Bang Theory didn't feature Raj. Instead, Sheldon (Jim Parsons) and Leonard (Johnny Galecki) were supposed to be the only two characters fronting the sitcom. But after it was reworked following CBS' notes, creators Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady expanded the cast, bringing in Penny (Kaley Cuoco), Howard (Simon Helberg), and Raj. Eventually, Amy (Mayim Bialik) and Bernadette (Melissa Rauch) ed the gang. While all of them progressed in both their personal and professional lives in the next several years, Raj's growth was slow, and at some points, even stagnated.
At the Nayyar sacrificed a lot for The Big Bang Theory in the last 12 years since he lived far from his family in India makes his character's ending so much more depressing. Unlike his castmates, who were mostly based in the U.S., it’s more difficult to keep in touch with his clan.
The concept of happiness is subjective, and Raj's ending could be interpreted as such by some; after all, it appeared as if he didn’t have any issues with how his friends’ lives were shaping up. He was clearly starting to embrace his true self, standing up to Howard for his constant ive-aggressive bullying. He also stopped ironing his hair to fit in. These may be small steps but it's an indication that he's slowly improving towards loving his true self. The problem with this, however, is that, out of The Big Bang Theory's original cast, he was the one who had been longing for love since the beginning. He's the most romantic among his male friends; he regularly put himself out there despite the constantly failed relationships. He worked so hard to overcome his selective mutism in the hopes of finding his mate; he even agreed to an arranged marriage because he was so lonely. So leaving him alone at the end of The Big Bang Theory was sad for many.
On the heels of the backlash regarding how the show left his character, Nayyar defended Raj's The Big Bang Theory ending. However, that did little to ease people's criticisms of how the sitcom handled his character. At this point, there's no way to make up for it. Instead, it can be done later when an inevitable reunion happens.