The makers of the Disney Pixar movie ‘Turning Red’ dropped the official teaser trailer on July 14, 2021. Interestingly, the trailer shows a new character of an animated turban-wearing Sikh. The intricacies in the character built have left the Punjabi community impressed.

Set in Toronto, Canada, the movie is directed by the Oscar-winning director Domee Shi. Domee Shi won the Oscar for her 2018 animated short film ‘Bao’, which featured a lonely mother who gave life to an inanimate dumpling by nurturing and caring for it. The filmmaker has made sure to direct ‘Turning Red’ in a way that screams inclusivity, catering to a multitude of ethnicities and communities. 

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“We are beyond thrilled that director Domee Shi chose her hometown of Toronto as the backdrop for her new feature film,” said Greg Mason, VP of Marketing for Walt Disney Studios Canada, in a press release. He added, “Turning Red truly is a love letter to Toronto and Canada.”

The trailer features a Sikh man as a school guard and is involved in an altercation with the mother of the lead character outside the school. His navy blue turban and a ‘Kara’ on his wrist have the viewers rooting for the movie for its perfect representation of a Sikh person. Kara is one of the five important Ks of the Sikh religion and for a director of a Canadian ethnicity to do justice to her characters through proper research on the culture and traditions is a sign of brilliant art. 

‘Turning Red’ marks the debut of a Punjabi character in a Disney Pixar animated feature film. It is a story of a 13-year-old girl, Mei Lee, who turns into a red monster in an explosion of pink smoke every time she is excited. While the girl is played by Rosalie Chiang, Canadian Hollywood star Sandra Oh of Grey’s Anatomy fame lends her voice to the character of her overprotective mother. 

The movie is slated to release in the US on March 11, 2022.