Malala thanks Ms. Marvel for accurately representing the lives of a Pakistani immigrant family
Disney and Marvel’s upcoming superhero show Ms. Marvel has impressed a lot of Pakistanis online for its representation and relatable storyline, the most recent being Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai who sent a handwritten letter appreciating the hero and the series.
On Wednesday, the official release date of the series, the official Instagram handle of Ms. Marvel shared the note with their followers. She began by emphasising on how for her, it's not every day when a character on TV is relatable enough, someone who eats the same food as her, listens to the same music and speaks the same Urdu phrases as her.
"What a joy to see Ms. Marvel reflect the lives of a Pakistani immigrant family and reveal a young superhero whose powers connect to her heritage. Thank you, Marvel and Disney+, and most importantly, Ms. Marvel,” she wrote.
The humanitarian also wrote an article for Podium in which she reviewed the first episode of the show. "I love cheering for a girl who looks like me as she fights villains and rescues friends. But Ms. Marvel is for every young person finding their place in the world. I was struck by how familiar Kamala Khan’s life seemed to me. She talks with her friends about Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan, listens to Pakistani pop songs and eats chicken biryani with her family. And I suspect many Pakistani kids will see their own parents in Kamala’s genial father and strict mom," Yousafzai wrote.
In the show, actor Iman 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.
The series is being helmed by Oscar-winning Pakistani filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, Meera Menon, Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah in directing the series. While it premieres today (Wednesday), Marvel Studios will be releasing Ms. Marvel exclusively in cinemas only in Pakistan. Episodes one and two will debut on June 16, three and four on June 30 and five and six on July 14.
The cast includes Aramis Knight, Matt Lintz, Saagar Shaikh, Rish Shah, Mohan Kapoor, Farhan Akhtar, Nimra Bucha, Zenobia Shroff, Yasmeen Fletcher, Travina Springer, Laurel Marsden, Laith Nakli, Azhra Usman and Fawad Khan.
