Ms Marvel’s Portrayal of Indo-Pak Partition Is a Win for Diversity in 1947 | Entertain Xtra
Ms Marvel’s Portrayal of Indo-Pak Partition Is a Win for Diversity in 1947
Ms Marvel shines a spotlight on the darkest part of South Asian history: The India-Pakistan partition.
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Ms Marvel’s Portrayal of Indo-Pak Partition Is a Win for Diversity
& Inclusion
The partition of India
and Pakistan is highlighted by Ms. Marvel as the most heinous event in South
Asian history.
It's unlikely that a
South Asian who watched Ms. Marvel didn't recognise the show's strong representation
of their culture. The New Jersey-based programme follows Kamala Khan, or Ms.
Marvel, a Pakistani immigrant's daughter who learns she has superpowers thanks
to a bracelet she received from her great-grandmother.
Because of her ardent
admiration for Marvel, Kamala frequently finds herself in conflict with her
parents, who are attempting to protect their traditional beliefs and
traditions.
One innovative and intelligent thing Ms. Marvel does is provide a backstory for Kamala's abilities based on the 1947 India-Pakistan Partition.
One of the most
significant moments in India and Pakistan's histories, the partition
drastically altered the fates of both nations as we know them today.
It is nothing short of a wonder that such a significant aspect of South Asian history is featured so prominently in a western-produced show.
#MsMarvel spoilers----------Kamala's Nani described the Partition of India perfectly. It's not just a significant historical event in world history. The long lasting horrific memories of that experience still terrorize millions of South Asians to this date pic.twitter.com/kwB3BfykZp— Swarna | exams era (@kidofmisfortune) June 29, 2022
Aisha,
Kamala's great-grandmother, first became aware of these abilities during the
partition when she was a little girl. Like millions of Indians in 1947, Aisha's
father hurried to board the final train from India to Pakistan in order to
protect their lives.
Due to
increased social turmoil brought on by the displacement of the majority of
families, horrific sexual assaults, arson fires, kidnappings, and unspeakable
atrocities against children occurred on both sides of the border. During this
time, Aisha's abilities began to develop.
The Partition Isn’t Just a Hook
The division
serves as much than simply a story device for Ms. Marvel. It continually refers
to that period of time in history while masterfully tying it into Kamala's
personal journey as she learns about her powers.
Another scene
from an earlier episode depicts Kamala's family discussing the horrors of the
barrier at the dinner table. While her mother finds it impossible to even bring
up the topic, her father discusses the anguish that millions of Indians
through.
The Marvel of Inclusivity In Writing
It is hardly
surprising how Ms. Marvel is developing. Indian and Pakistani melodies are
flawlessly incorporated into the show's background music. A young girl named
Nakia, who is also Kamala's best friend, is also shown running for a spot on
the mosque board and succeeding, breaking the mould of conventional Islamic
stereotypes.
Among the
numerous thoughtful touches the writers have added to the programme include
depicting the celebration of holidays like Eid and playing unusual Bollywood
tunes during a wedding scene (the only other show to do this is The Office).
But how did Ms. Marvel pull this off so brilliantly? because their writing
staff is diverse.
Screenwriter and stand-up comedian Bisha K Ali, a British-Pakistani, is
the creator of the programme. The show's lead writer is Ali as well. Queer
Pakistani-American author Aisha Bhoori is one of the two staff writers. The
combined experiences of these writers—Pakistanis who also happen to reside in
the west—lead to an exquisite synthesis of a thoughtful and culturally varied
production. They are knowledgeable about the culture they are writing about
since they have personal experience with it.
Marvel Is Keeping Its Promise
This
shift toward diversity and inclusion wasn't an accident. As they promised when
they started the fourth phase of the MCU in 2019, Marvel has made a very
deliberate move.
In
an interview with Vulture in 2019, Marvel's president Kevin Feige and executive
vice president of production Victoria Alonso pledged that the company would
feature a more diverse cast of characters.
In
addition, casting director Sarah Halley Finn stated, "You're going to see
even more new faces—and faces from all various origins, all ages, all ethnicities,
LGBTQ, and individuals with disabilities. Having authenticity, increasing
representation, and giving more screen time to actors who haven't often been
represented in popular culture films are priorities.
They kept their end of the bargain, too. Since Marvel's fourth phase, a significant number of LGBTQIA+ characters have joined the main cast. Phastos, a queer character of colour played by Brian Tyree Henry in the movie Eternals, is depicted with his family, including his husband and their son.
When challenged about his sexuality by a female version of himself in an other world, Tom Hiddleston's Loki declared that he preferred "a touch of both," making him the first bisexual protagonist character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
During ComicCon, Tessa Thompon and Kevin Feige both affirmed that Valkyrie from the Thor movie is gay. The fact that Thompson herself is openly bisexual makes this much more relevant.
Marvel has improved its inclusivity not just in terms of sexuality but also in terms of race and ethnicity. Simu Liu's portrayal of Shang-Chi in the 2019 movie Shang-Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings made him Marvel's first Asian superhero.
Even though it was set in a fictional nation, the first film to attempt to understand African culture was Black Panther. Not only in the MCU, but also in the history of superheroes in general, Chadwick Boseman made history by being the first person of colour to play a Marvel superhero.
Marvel has been extending its inclusivity and diversity drive beyond the actors to include directors and crew members as well. It is evident that this effort to become inclusive is multifaceted because Pakistani authors were part of the Ms. Marvel crew, and Chloé Zhao, the first Asian woman to win an Oscar, directed Eternals.
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