The movie, directed by Nisha Gantara, stars Emma Thompson as a late night talk show host who responds to the threat of losing her job by shaking up her all-male writing staff with a woman from an Indian background -- namely, Kaling's character. It's timely, of course, but it also made a splash at its Sundance premiere and could be a hit with a wider release.

The deal is a reflection of Amazon's clout, and makes clear that recently hired studio head Jennifer Salke is proving her worth relatively quickly. It also shows that Amazon hasn't backed out of Sundance simply because it's shying away from art-house movies. It's happy to spend money at the festival if it thinks a film has broad appeal.