Kamala Khan’s many talents apparently extend to dance!
Executive Producer and co-creator Sana Amanat tells PEOPLE that including a Pakistani wedding on the show was critical to her. “If you’re Pakistanior Indian, having a dance sequenceat a wedding is almost a rite of passage,” she explains. “It’s what I did growing up, and one of my favorite memories.”
She continues, “That’s why it was incredibly important and exciting for us to feature one in this show. It’s not meant to be perfect or complicated, just a joyful celebration of families uniting while being a window into our rich cultural heritage that we hoped our audience would enjoy with us.”
She adds, “That is the intention of the whole show, really: a fun celebration of who we are while asking the world to dance along with us.”
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Ms. Marvel.Daniel McFadden/Marvel Studios
Ms. Marvel is the superhero alias of Kamala Khan, a Muslim American teen from Jersey City who is a megafan ofCaptain Marvel. Kamala spends most of her life feeling like she doesn’t fit in until she makes the fascinating discovery that she has superpowers just like the heroes she looks up to.
In arecent conversation with PEOPLE, the 19-year-old actress said she learned she landed the role on her “last day of high school” and that she was with her “best friends who didn’t know that I had auditioned.”
“I was in my friend’s driveway and opened my phone. And lo and behold, [Marvel Studios President]Kevin Feigewas there,” she said. “I was freaking out, and they told me I got the part.”
Vellani continued, “I went back in the car and my friends were like, ‘So what happened? Did you win the lottery or something?’ I was like, ‘Basically.’ And I told them everything. And then we got burritos.”
Iman Vellani inMs. Marvel.Marvel Studios
With Ms. Marvel stepping into the MCU as the first Muslim Marvel superhero, Vellani said she recognizes that “the character [is] a role model” but doesn’t personally “feel the pressure or feel the need to take up this mantle of being the poster child for Muslims and South Asians everywhere.”
“I think our work is going to speak for itself,” the Pakistani-Canadian actress told PEOPLE. “And honestly, it’s a good show, and I really do think that we’ve represented the group of people we want to represent quite well.”
“I only wanted to bring everything that I love from the comics, and we achieved that,” Vellani added. “And I’m super happywith the end product. So yeah, I’m excited for the reaction.”
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New episodes ofMs. Marvelair Wednesdays on Disney+ through July 13.
source: people.com
