Bollywood actor- director-singer Farhan Akhtar is all set to make his MCU debut with ‘Ms Marvel’ as Waleed, a character who knows everything about Kamala’s superpowers.
‘Ms Marvel‘ has been the most Desi-oriented programme in the Marvel Cinematic Universe due to its emphasis on south Asian music and culture.
Tuesday night, a snippet from the episode starring Farhan’s character Waleed was posted to ‘Ms Marvel’ and Marvel Studios’ official Instagram account.
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According to reports, Farhan Akhtar will play a key part in the show. Farhan Akhtar was cast in the charismatic role of Waleed by directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah because the part calls for a lot of gravitas.
Ali Sethi’s ‘Pasoori’, undoubtedly the song in the subcontinent that is now being talked about the most, was used in a sequence in Ms Marvel to depict the authentic spirit of Karachi.
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Take a look-
Another character, played by a well-known actor, is also introduced in the show. Aramis Knight of Ender’s Game appears as Waleed’s deputy Keemo, giving fans much-needed action and context on Kamala Khan’s world.
The scenery, however, is the most noticeable change in ‘Ms Marvel’s episode 4’.
So far, the show has focused on Kamala Khan, a “brown girl from Jersey City” who is struggling to accept her superpowers.
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However, in episode 4, Kamala and her mother Muneeba travel to Karachi to visit Muneeba’s ailing mother.
Until recently, if a superhero show was set in Pakistan or India, it was almost always about a terrorist plot.
Karachi’s beauty and uniqueness are captured by Ms Marvel, but it misses the mark in the same way that many Western movies have by overly alienating the traditions.
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The photographs of the market, kites in the air, and train station were taken with a Western eye. That is made further stranger when you consider that Pakistani filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, a two-time Oscar winner, directed the episode.
Every Wednesday, new episodes of ‘Ms Marvel’ are released on Disney+ worldwide (and Disney+ Hotstar in India). There are still more Karachi adventures and a Fawad Khan cameo to look forward to.
