“The Mindy Project” proves a felicitous title for the new Fox sitcom starring Mindy Kaling, for the word “project” evokes thoughts of under construction, and, in the pilot, Mindy herself is very much a work in progress—as is the show. We hear so much about the vaunted “male gaze,” but this show is definitely shot from the “female gaze.” It’s Kaling’s voice through-and-through--for better or worse. Those who enjoy her humor—Kaling is a bestselling author, a supporting actress on NBC’s popular “The Office,” a prolific tweeter, and an Emmy-nominated writer and producer—will likely be charmed by her authentic lead performance. Those who don’t “get” her humor won’t suddenly be enchanted by this show. In the pilot, Mindy is a lovelorn ob-gyn juggling her career while trying to find her perfect guy and do nothing short of changing her entire life. She vows to lose weight, cease having casual sex with a dreamy but roguish British doctor in her office--Jeremy Reed (played by Ed Weeks)—and generally grow up. The show, which premieres September 25 at 8:30 p.m. CDT, begins with Mindy’s voiceover narration--which recurs frequently throughout the episode—describing her life up until that point. She confesses her obsession with romantic comedies, explains her path to becoming a doctor, and recounts falling madly in love only to be dumped. Heartbroken and bitter, she attends the wedding of the man who left her, where she drinks too much and gives an uncomfortable toast. Her drunken ride through the neighborhood on a bicycle ends with her at the bottom of a pool, where she is castigated by a comely female doll telling her to “pull it together.” She breaks down in tears, is arrested, then bailed out by her best friend, Gwen Grandy (played by Anna Camp), who tells her, “Your life is not a romantic comedy.” Throughout the pilot, Mindy is torn between turning over a new leaf and remaining in stasis. She goes on a date with Ed Helms, of “Hangover” movie fame, but bails to deliver the baby of an uninsured woman who doesn’t speak English—who she first refused to treat because, “I have to do things that move my life forward.” In her attempt at reform, she repeatedly rebuffs the advances of Reed, who she has long been “friends with benefits” with, only to fall back into his arms at the end—so much for progress! The pilot is filled with pop-culture references, not only to romantic comedies, but also to Siri, Michael Fassbender, Jon Stewart, and much more. Mindy also verbally spars with another doctor, Danny Castellano (Chris Messina), and banters with her staff, Betsy Punch (Zoe Jarman) and Shauna Dicanio (Amanda Setton). “Mindy” jams a great deal of exposition into 22 minutes, but should settle into a less break-neck pace as the weeks go by. Females are more likely to empathize with Mindy’s travails, while males might find themselves bewildered by Mindy’s quirkiness and her repeated failure to follow through on making life changes.