Why ‘Ms. Marvel’ Getting Its Music Right Feels Like Such A Big Deal To Us Desi Folks
Ms. Marvel Episode 4 is almost here, you guys! Did y’all watch the other three and catch up? The MCU has managed to give us some truly impressive representation in its new superhero origin stories with Shang-Chi and most recently, Moon Knight. And so far, Ms. Marvel is doing a fantastic job too. The Internet has been lit with praises for the series’ representation of the Pakistani-American identity of our superhero. What I particularly love, after Episode 3, is how well it portrays the difference in Kamala’s journey as compared to, say, a Peter Parker becoming Spider-Man, because she is a Muslim. Her ‘vigilante’ phase, before she becomes the superhero, is not going to be as smooth-sailing for her or for her community, considering the persecution they face in the country she lives in.
One of my favourite things about the Disney+ series so far is the music choices. Ms. Marvel already got off to an impressive start with The Weeknd’s Blinding Lights in its trailer, which feels to me like a fitting nod to Kamala’s powers. And just a really good song to hook in the targetted audience, amirite? But if you’ve watched the three episodes that are out, you would’ve noticed that the music of this show is an excellent selection of songs that speak to the South Asian-American identity of Kamala Khan. So sure, you have The Weeknd on the playlist. But listen close and you’ll spot Rajakumari’s ‘Goddess’, ‘Come Around’ by Timbaland and Sri Lankan-British rapper M.I.A, ‘Jalebi Baby’ by Tesher, ‘Sage’ by Ritviz, Swetshop Boys’ ‘Anthem ‘ and ‘Deal With It’ written by Riz Ahmed, Himanshu Suri and Tom Calvert, and ‘Oh Nanba’ and ‘Tere Bina’ by A.R. Rahman, a YRF movie song, ‘Dil Bole Hadippa’, amongst others in the mix. What’s more, there are songs by Pakistani artists, of yore as well as the Coke Studio era, such as Ahmed Rushdie’s ‘Ko Ko Koreena’, and many more.
In fact, Ms. Marvel Episode 3, which shows us Kamala’s brother Aamir’s wedding to Tyesha, was, by far, one of the most authentic representations of South Asian festivities abroad, and one of the reasons I can say this is the sangeet playlist! It had everything, including ‘Yeh Mera Dil’ from the original Don, on which the oldies danced, as you would see in your typical desi sangeet ceremonies.
Throughout Episode 3, I was jumping in my seat, ecstatic that the show creators had nigh perfectly captured the essence of South Asian weddings, including the over-enthusiastic joota-chhupaai ritual that lead to not just Aamir’s (the groom) shoes being hidden but all the other pairs too. But the music hitting bullseye, in particular, feels like a huge deal, especially after the disappointment that was Kingo’s introduction scene in the Eternals. I mean, sure, we got Harish Patel supremacy to make up for some of it, but I’m toh still not over it. The music of a culture, region, or people is one of the most defining parts of their identity. And getting that right instantly endears you to them. For the most part, Hollywood has stuck to the very mainstream of Asian culture, and rarely got even that right. But the makers ensuring that the music for the series about an Asian-American superhero reflects the cultural mash that she is, attests to how much they care to tell this story authentically and makes me positive that they would do justice to it.
Also Read: From ‘Ms Marvel’ To ‘Moon Knight’, 5 Times The MCU Got Cultural And Religious Representation Right
I was lucky enough to attend the press conference where the cast and creators along with Marvel boss Kevin Feige gave us such incredible insight into the making of the series and the ethos of this teen superhero’s story that pays respectful tribute to her Pakistani-American immigrant experience and her Muslim identity. And since I had already gotten a taste of the first two episodes when this happened, and LOVED the music selection, I just had to ask them what went into the song selection for the series, which, might I add, is banger after banger!
Writer Bisha K. Ali said, “I think there’s always the vision of, like, the energy and the tone that both Adil and Bilall (directors) and the entire crew brought to bringing this character to life, and the music is such an integral part of it. Honestly, I agree it’s just banger after banger on the soundtrack. And Sana [Amanat] and I had some emails back and forth, but really Sana had such a clear vision of what those songs should be. And I was like, ‘What about this one?’ And then she would just blow me away by topping every single one.”
Creator Sana Amanat grew up listening to a lot of desi music and for her, this was a chance to get some of her favourite songs into the mix, because they’d fit Kamala’s own experience so well.
“I feel like the music is a blend, like Kamala is a blend.”
Sana recalls the fervour of getting a chance to plug her own favourites into the story.
“This was kind of like the moment. I was like, ‘Oh my God, all of the songs I’ve ever loved.’ [Laughs] There are so many great artists. I think South Asian music and South Asian diasporic music is probably some of the best music in the world, and it was just a great platform. And you know, the studio and Kevin [Feige] were so excited and gracious about hearing different kinds of music and celebrating that in the show. So, I had been curating a playlist since Kevin called me to say, ‘Hey do you wanna join this show?'”
I can totally imagine, that if I got to pick songs for a show like Ms. Marvel, my list would be overflowing with favourites! A total Sophie’s Choice! Sana also credits the show’s music team, which included Dave Joran and Shannon Murphy, for diving in with utmost excitement on this. Furthermore, she points out how she’s happy that they managed to include these songs in the show because getting clearances for them was quite a task!
Also Read: Ms Marvel Ep 3: What Is Djinn And Noor Dimension? How Is It Connected To ‘Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings’?
Another person who deserves the credit for the Pakistani artists featured in the track list? Pakistani-Canadian journalist and Oscar-winning filmmaker (the first Pakistani to win this honour!), Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, who is one of the directors on the series. If you, like me, discovered an old classic ‘Ko Ko Koreena’ through this show, you can thank Sharmeen!
“I think the music seen in Pakistan is so vivacious, and that I would flood Sana’s WhatsApps with, like, 10 tracks. And I’d be like, listen to this, listen to this, listen to this!”
For Iman Vellani, Ms. Marvel herself, this entire process was the coming together of worlds.
“The entire show is kind of about bringing together all the generations, you know?” says Iman. “We have old Pakistani, old Bollywood, and then modern-day pop music. And just it’s just bringing together a lot of people through… My dad used to sing ‘Ko Ko Koreena’ to me when I was a kid. I was like, why is it so familiar?”
When the credits rolled on Ms Marvel Episode 3, another familiar song ‘For Aisha’ by Memba, hit me with another bout of familiarity. The song was featured in the end credits of The Sky Is Pink, a movie based on the real-life story of a girl named Aisha Chaudhary, who overcomes all odds that life threw at her. The song was written for her by her brother, with his band Memba. Now this could be just another popular Bollywood song that found a Hollywood connect, considering the film stars and is produced by Priyanka Chopra, a global icon. Or it could be a sly wink at the impending arrival of Farhan Akhtar in the next episode. Or… the song, written for an ‘Aisha’, could be a nod to Kamala’s great-grandmother who is also named Aisha, and who Farhan’s character is going to tell us more about in Episode 4.
Also Read: Farhan Akhtar’s Ms Marvel Character Name Finally Revealed. And He’s Got Some Dope On Kamala Khan’s Great-Grandmother!
Either way, I love that this representation has so many layers!
