When Marvel Studios announced that they were bringing their first Muslim superhero on screen, many had a jaw-dropping moment. But Ms Marvel cast members -- Mohan Kapur, Zenobia Shroff and Saagar Shaikh found many points that they could relate to.
Right now, all eyes are on Muslim American teenager Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani) who goes on to become Ms Marvel. The new original series focuses on what Kamala, who is a fan-fiction scribe and a superhero megafan of Captain Marvel, deals with while growing up in Jersey City. While she is still figuring things out, she gets superpowers like the superheroes she’s always admired.
Her journey clearly has become a talking point on social media, but it's also her family members who have grabbed people's attention.
Shaikh of Unfair and Ugly fame plays Kamala's brother Aamir in the series. The actor, who has roots in Pakistan, says he connected "pretty strongly" with Kamala and his own character because he was born and raised in the US. "I kind of see the plight of both of their stories. I can relate to both the characters because I see what they are going through as kids growing up in the US, and the challenges that they have between all of their identities that there are within them," he tells Firstpost.
As for Shroff, Bollywood fans might remember her from the 2012 film Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu. The actress of Indian descent also made waves in American showbiz with projects like The Big Sick and The Affair, and now she is seen as a protective and loving mother in Ms Marvel.
"I relate to (Ms Marvel) a lot as I am an immigrant in America. I have been here (in America) for 30 years, so the immigrant struggle that Muneeba (her character) and Yusuf (Kapur's role) have gone through is very subtle, but put down quite carefully. They have tried to make a good life. They are a decent middle-class family and you think back on your own story. I can relate a lot," she shares.
"There are a couple of scenes where she talks to Kamala about that, so I definitely relate to the immigrant part. And the mother part too as I have done a lot of mother roles and it comes pretty naturally," she says with a smile.
Kapur, known for Bollywood movies like Sadak 2, Mission Mangal and Happy New Year, is still living in India, but he still finds the story of the series relatable.
"I still reside in India. This was an opportunity of a lifetime that I got to star in Hollywood and in the world's biggest production house -- Marvel Studios. The script was fascinating for me, and so was the process. It was also fascinating to understand the whole thing about the representation of the Muslim community or a South Asian community in another country," he says.
According to Kapur, who has dubbed for Doctor Strange in Hindi versions, Ms Marvel is a story of a family and one particular individual from that family who then goes on to become a superhero.
"It was very interesting, but here's the thing. We are not shouting representation. We are not holding banners of representation," he points out.
"We are saying that we are going to give you a story of a community... an ethnically diverse and culturally rich community in a world which you love, you adore and you relate to which is MCU. So suddenly it is actually a creative culture shock. You say, 'What? There's a Pakistani girl who is a superhero! What gives?'"
So, he wants the audience to watch the series for the brilliance of the writing, the commitment behind putting this project together and "watch these wonderful actors bring to life what someone like Saagar goes through and what Kamala played by Iman goes through."
He notes that Muneeba, an immigrant in the US, lives through it and hears about it. "So they (Shroff, Shaikh and Vellani) bring a lot more gravitas to their characters than probably I would," he says.
"Fortunately for me, I just play a loving father, a fun-loving father who loves his family, who is ready to protect them and provide for them, so my perspective was very different but I completely relate to it," he adds.
In fact, his character is so supportive of his daughter that he even goes green and dresses as "Big Hulk" just to convince her to cosplay as "Little Hulk" for an Avengers event.
Ms Marvel, which also stars Rish Shah, Yasmeen Fletcher and Matt Lintz, will be streaming on Disney+ Hotstar from 8 June.
Natalia Ningthoujam is a Manipur-based journalist. She knows how to smoothly switch from being a fan to a writer whenever needed. She tweets at @nattynick.
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