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People should enjoy Kamala's journey, says Farhan Akhtar on his brief role in Ms. Marvel

People should enjoy Kamala's journey, says Farhan Akhtar on his brief role in Ms. Marvel

He plays Waleed, the leader of Red Daggers, a group that fights the evil The Clandestines in the show.
02 Jul, 2022

If you've been keeping up with Ms. Marvel you most probably know that in the latest episode Bollywood's Farhan Akhtar made a guest appearance as Waleed. Despite his short appearance, his character received a lot of love online. Now the actor has told Indian media that people must enjoy the show and "Kamala's journey".

In an exclusive interview with India Today on Friday, the actor talked about his character Waleed and his abrupt ending in the episode. When asked if he is dead in reference to the scene where Karim tells Kamala "he's gone", Akhtar said he is "not allowed to answer it". He did, however, explain that the reason he took the role is to ensure the representation of South Asians. "People have been invested in the show. For us, it is really exciting because it is culturally representing us. It makes it very special. And that was the most exciting part for me being involved with the show."

His character, Waleed, is the lead of a group called the Red Daggers that ends up fighting The Clandestines, led by Najma (Nimra Bucha), in order to protect Kamala and her bangle. While fighting, his character gets stabbed by Najma and falls to the ground. Karim (Aramis Knight) says he and Kamala must continue the fight. Seeing his body lying on the ground made everyone question his fate and whether Waleed will live on in the film The Marvels.

Taking speculations into account, Akhtar answered that people "must enjoy the show and should enjoy Kamala's journey" because to him that's what's important. He also mentioned that the story has been focused on Kamala and it has been the same since episode one. About representation, Akhtar said that the show means a lot to everyone because "culturally it represents us (South Asians)".

"People have been invested in the show. For us, it is really exciting because it is culturally representing us. It makes it very special. And that was the most exciting part of me being involved with the show. Because of what the show represents. Whether it is my family or my friends, my kids and their friends, everyone is very excited to have seen me on this show," he said.

Opening up about the first Muslim superhero in the MCU, Akhtar said that he considers himself "lucky" to have been part of Ms. Marvel. "There is so much love coming in for the character of Kamala. I'm sure it is going to open doors and it will create more content. There has to be a first and it happens to be now. We should be thankful that it is happening and we look forward to some more fun times," said the Bhaag Milkha Bhaag actor.

The recent episode also saw Kamala's journey to Karachi, her discovering the place where the refugees from India first settled, her having a one on one conversation with her nani (Samina Ahmed) who confirms that Kamala is a djinn, something Najma had told her in the third episode.

Kamala is a 16-year-old who lives in Jersey City. She is an avid gamer, a fan fiction scribe and a huge fan of the Avengers, particularly Captain Marvel. She is seen as a struggling teen who is figuring out life one by one while also discovering more about the powers she has inherited from the mysterious bangle that once belonged to her great-grandmother Aisha (Mehwish Hayat).

Episodes of Ms. Marvel drop every Wednesday on Disney+ and are also being screened in theatres across Pakistan. Episode 3 and 4 as are being screened in cinemas for a week from today (Saturday), while the season finale 5 and 6 will be screened on July 15.

Comments

nazim Jul 02, 2022 04:00pm
Thank you Sharmeen!! You did your part very well.
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GreenAura Jul 02, 2022 04:07pm
Bollywood actors promoting Pakistani superheroes. What does the Indian Arts Council have to say about this latest transgression against indian state policy?
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Truth be told Jul 02, 2022 04:40pm
Brain washing of our youth who finally find themselves to be represented internationally although many believe the not-outing of secret identities and power is an analogy to the all inclusive international movement aimed towards absorbing the 20+ genders.
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Truth be told Jul 02, 2022 04:41pm
@nazim is Sharmeen will eventually be praised by the West then whatever she is doing is against our future generations.
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JustSaying Jul 02, 2022 10:05pm
@GreenAura " Bollywood actors promoting Pakistani superheroes.. " Pakistani Superheroes...??? Hilarious....
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Ed Jul 03, 2022 06:50am
Why Indians are focusing on “Southeast Asians”? This is supposedly a show about a “Pakistani” girl, the girl is a Pakistani. Pakistani Canadian) and in the show she’s a daughter of a Pakistani immigrant. If the girl would have been an “Indian”, the Indians would have not cared to mention “Southeast Asian” but would have only promoted India.
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TPA Jul 03, 2022 09:53am
Farhan Akhtar is the most overhyped and under talented artist in Bollywood. Stop giving him so much of attention.
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Salvo Jul 03, 2022 04:21pm
@GreenAura American not Pakistani
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