The Marvel Cinematic Universe has a talent for incorporating music into its films. Take, for example, the film Guardians of the Galaxy. Ms Marvel, on the other hand, is now carrying on the tradition, and in a big way! Music is used not just to set the tone of the show, but also to emphasise the protagonist’s South Asian ethnicity.
In the first episode of Ms Marvel, the main character Kamala Khan goes shopping. The trip is for Kamala’s brother’s upcoming wedding in Jersey City’s south Asian market. In the background, the song Ko Ko Korina is playing. Although many Indians are unfamiliar with the popular song, it remains one of the most popular in Pakistan. Ahmed Rushdi performed it for the 1966 film Armaan, and it is largely recognised as South Asia’s first pop song. The soundtrack reflects the fact that the show is about a brown girl from Jersey City.
Throughout the first two episodes, there are scenes with a dash of desi music, whether it’s Eva B’s Urdu rap Rozi, which talks with women breaking glass ceilings, or Nahid Akhtar’s Sohniye I Love You from the Pakistani film Babul Veer. Peechay Hutt from season 14 makes an appearance as well, courtesy of Coke Studio.
However, it isn’t all Pakistani music. Indian music is also featured on the show, whether it’s as well-known as a Rajinikanth film or as obscure as a Ritviz’s piece. AR Rahman’s Oh Nanba from Lingaa, which contains SP Balasubrmaniam’s voice, is the most well-known of the lot. The music includes Raja Kumari’s Goddess, Ritviz’s Sage, Ishq Bector, Kully Bhamra, and Angus Campbell’s Disco Gully.
And the songs of Ms Marvel have a distinct South Asian flavour to them. They aren’t only there to fill in the gaps in the show’s sound.
Ms Marvel’s selling point, on the other hand, is that it’s about a Pakistani girl from Jersey who wants to save the world.
Ms Marvel will be available to stream on Disney+ and Disney+ Hotstar in India starting this week. The initial episodes of the show will debut on June 8, with new episodes showing weekly after that.