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'A dream come true': Mehwish Hayat praises Ms. Marvel's 'accurate' representation of desi culture

'A dream come true': Mehwish Hayat praises Ms. Marvel's 'accurate' representation of desi culture

The actor said Kamala Khan is the first brown superhero we all can relate to.
06 Jun, 2022

Disney+ and Marvel's upcoming show Ms. Marvel has been the talk of the town for desis all over social media, be it our very own Pakistani celebrities representing on the red carpet in Hollywood, or some snippets from the show that left many demanding correct representation. But for Mehwish Hayat, Ms. Marvel is an "accurate representation" of Pakistani culture.

On Sunday, the actor shared photos from the premiere event of the show held in Los Angeles. In her post, she wrote, "Working on Ms Marvel and being part of the MCU is a dream come true for me! You cannot believe what it means to finally have the first brown Muslim superhero that we can all relate to and who speaks for us. Words can't describe how happy my inner child is to see my culture being so accurately represented on screen, in a mainstream Hollywood production."

She also wrote that it means a lot that Marvel made an effort to cast Pakistani actors in key roles. "I hope that this will not only show actors in Pakistan that they need to look beyond their own borders but also give Hollywood the confidence to cast talent from Pakistan."

In her post, Hayat credited show creator Sana Amanat, executive producer Jenna Berger and director Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy and the rest of the team's "attention to detail" that made Ms. Marvel something really special. For her, the proud moment was seeing the Oscar winning filmmaker directing the upcoming show. "Couldn’t think of anyone who would have been better," she wrote.

She also complimented the main lead, Iman Vellani, who plays Kamala Khan. For Hayat, Vellani is a "real firecracker" who is destined to be a big name in Hollywood.

Hayat bumping into Kevin Feige, president of Marvel Studios, and Louis D'Esposito, film producer, was the "icing on the cake" of her trip. She also wrote that Marvel needs to be applauded because they have made every little girl, not just brown, believe that they are special and can achieve their dreams if they believe in them enough. "Look at me… a girl from Karachi walking the Red carpet in Hollywood shows anything is possible."

In the show, Vellani plays 16-year-old Kamala, a Pakistani-American teen who lives in Jersey City. Kamala is an aspiring artist, an avid gamer, and a voracious fan-fiction scribe. She is also a huge fan of the Avengers — and one in particular, Captain Marvel. But Kamala has always struggled to find her place in the world — that is until she gets super powers like the heroes she’s always looked up to.

Earlier last month, Chinoy had announced that Disney and Marvel have created a special theatre format for Ms. Marvel. The six-episode show will be split into three parts according to the filmmaker.

Episodes one and two will debut on June 16, three and four on June 30 and five and six on July 14.

Comments

Tadka Jun 06, 2022 05:35pm
Ms Chinoy looking better of the two
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Ahmed Jun 06, 2022 05:59pm
We cannot relate to her in any way. She has nothing to do with our culture. Either Pakistani or Muslim. Stop it.
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T-man Jun 06, 2022 06:58pm
What had happened to her face? It looks plasticy.
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A Jun 06, 2022 09:20pm
@Ahmed “ We cannot relate to her in any way. She has nothing to do with our culture. Either Pakistani or Muslim. ” Stop it. She has her own identity and is free to carry it.
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Faizan Jun 06, 2022 10:44pm
Looking at her, I can't imagine having a Muslim superhero would mean anything to her. Mehwish should stop pretending. Islam is a way of life, not an ethnicity or a joke.
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Farhan Jun 06, 2022 10:48pm
@Ahmed this you cant tell she is muslim
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Glen D'Abreo Jun 06, 2022 11:27pm
@Ahmed what does relate mean? of ethnicity or religion?
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Glen D'Abreo Jun 06, 2022 11:28pm
@T-man Do you asks the same question about a male actor ?
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Javaria Jun 06, 2022 11:31pm
Have to say the truth she is not in any way appearing representative of Asian culture. Looks more like a copy cat Western bimbo. Lady needs a dose of self reflection. Same shackled mentality of aspiring to Western art forms as the gold standard , seeking approval & recognition from Western audiences . Beyond commercial fluff what are her great achievements?
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HashBrown® Jun 08, 2022 03:28pm
@Javaria "Beyond commercial fluff what are her great achievements?" Do you ask the same question of the millions of Pakistanis who migrate to the west year after year and send remittances to Pakistan? Do you have a problem with them too? And since we're on the subject, can you kindly give us a full list of all your great achievements, apart from attacking a 19yr old Pakistani girl on the internet?
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Wasim Jaweed Jun 09, 2022 06:50pm
@Ahmed she is supposed to be from a pakistani family who live in jersey, if you are not living in uk or usa then you are not supposed to relate to her.
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