If you were looking forward to watching a Pakistani-American superhero story in Marvel production, the depiction of a brown desi family will definitely disappoint you. The first clip from Ms. Marvel dropped on Wednesday, and fans are utterly disappointed with the cringy- and far from relatable- portrayal shown in it.
We see Kamala Khan (Iman Velliani) confronting with a difficult decision: She can either skip an Avengers-themed school party or face her over-excited mother dying to see the father-daughter duo in desi Hulk outfits.
The clip opens with the 16-year-old Captain Marvel fangirl hiding a homemade superhero costume she made inspired by her hero, Brie Larson’s Carol Danvers, in preparation for an Avengers-themed costume party she’s been invited to.
After obtaining permission from her mother Muneeba (Zenobia Shroff), Kamala’s fearful face changes to one of excitement as she beams with joy, only to discover the conditions of the permission.
In addition to wearing a mom-approved-hideous outfit, Kamala must also be escorted by her green-painted dad who is twinned with her. A desi shalwar kameez version of a Hulk outfit is pulled out by Muneeba and as if that were not enough, we get to see how it would look on her dad, Yousuf (Mohan Kapur).
Have a look at the clip:
Social media users have called out everything wrong with the Khans, from their fake Indian accent to throwing the words ‘abbu’ and ‘haram’ to make it sound Pakistani.
Netizens verbalize their disappointment
“Indian English accent, Indian actors, ‘so much haram going on’ is exactly how Bollywood thinks Muslims/Pakistanis talk,” wrote one user. “This isn’t Pakistani representation, it’s a representation of how Bollywood has always perceived and shown Pakistanis to be. What a waste honestly.”
“Now I am beginning to think these Indian actors deliberately tell the directors and producers that this is how Pakistanis act in their houses,” another user echoed the same sentiments.
“This is such [a] false representation of Pakistani parents. No Pakistani parent, even if Punjabi talks like this! And what’s with the Indian English accent?” another pointed out.
A few cringed over how the ‘haram’ factor was thrown into the mix unsolicitedly.
Others preferred being represented as “terrorists” instead of this “false” and “imperialist” representation.
Kamala, one of the newest members of the Marvel Studios superhero squad, follows the 16-year-old Pakistani-American from New Jersey with the ability to shapeshift, energy absorption, and manipulation, according to Screen Rant.
In the comics, Kamala is imbued with shapeshifting powers following the activation of her dormant Inhuman genes, which leads her to shoulder the responsibilities of a superhero, following in the footsteps of her idol, Captain Marvel.
The cast also includes Aramis Knight, Saagar Shaikh, Rish Shah, Matt Lintz, Yasmeen Fletcher, Laith Nakli, Azhar Usman, Travina Springer, Nimra Bucha, Fawad Khan, and Mehvish Hayat. By the way, have you seen the official poster of the show? It reflects the Pakistani heritage of its first Muslim superheroine.
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