‘Ms Marvel’s desi connect: AR Rahman, Ritviz & Ishq Bector add a dash of Indian music to MCU

'Ms Marvel' is making a splash across the world and Marvel fans are ecstatic about the new miniseries. Based on Marvel Comics character Kamala Khan, the show has been hailed for featuring a plethora of South Asian artists.

Khan, played by Iman Vellani, is a Pakistani-American growing up in Jersey City who idolises Captain Marvel. With her superhuman abilities, Khan wants to safeguard society and make the world a better place.

However, it is not her superpowers that have caught the attention. ‘Ms Marvel’ created by British-Pakistani screenwriter Bisha K Ali, boasts a cast that has an array of stars from India, Pakistan, the US, the UK and Canada. Bollywood actor Farhan Akhtar also makes an appearance in the superhero series. For the Indian audience, ‘Ms Marvel’ will be a unique experience as the show will feature numerous references to Indian films and music.


The Musical Influence
Over the years, numerous Hollywood films have featured several musical traces from Bollywood. With the global recognition of AR Rahman, music from southern India too has found a place in Hollywood. ‘Ms Marvel’ features a dash of Pakistani pop culture and is laced with several Urdu classics; however, the Indian presence is noteworthy too.

Among the notable Indian influences on the Marvel show’s soundtrack are, Ritviz’s sage, Raja Kumari’s 'Goddess', Angus Campbell and Kully Bhumra’s 'Disco Gully', Ishq Bector’s 'Daaku Daddy'. However, the most significant Indian name in the music scene is AR Rahman, the music maestro’s ‘Oh Nanba’ from Rajinikanth starrer ‘Linga’ makes an appearance in the show.
Marvel And Indian References
However, this is not the first time Marvel had Indian references in the MCU. In ‘The Avengers’ (2012), Bruce Banner is spotted in the slums of Kolkata. In ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’ (2017) Tony Stark is seen attending an Indian wedding, meanwhile, in ‘Black Panther’ (2018) the character M’Baku says ‘Glory to Hanuman’, suggesting that members of his tribe were worshippers of the god. Another interesting moment was when the trailer of ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2’ (2017) included the 1980’s classic 'Jhoom Jhoom Baba'.