Directed by star director and producer Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, the fourth episode of Ms. Marvel is nothing short of a gift to Pakistanis, and especially the people of Karachi.
Kamala visits her Nani (Samina Ahmed) in Karachi along with her mother, meets cousins, explores Karachi and gets to see her great-grandmother Ayesha (Mehwish Hayat) and her great-grandfather Hasan, whose character is played by the very Handsome , fawad khan. He makes new friends, including Farhan Akhtar, rides a Qingqi (Chin-chi), and eats biryani from a beach shopper.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydBj3Y15AwE
As soon as she leaves the airport with Nani and her mother to their ancestral home, a slew of landmarks close to the heart of Karachiites take over screens and attention with Talal Qureshi and Naseebo Lal’s ‘Aag’ doing the rest.
Related: Pakistani Music Gets Massive Recognition In Ms. Marvel Ep 4
How fascinating is it to see the places you see often, which appear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)? From Char Minaar Chawrangi and Hotel Metropol, the fourth episode of Ms. Marvel also introduces Teen Talwar, Beach View Park Chawrangi, and the picturesque Frere Hall.
The next day, after family lunch at some ‘yacht club’, Kamala accompanies her cousins to the old city area of Karachi and catches glimpses of Zaibunnisa Street, Abdullah Haroon Road, Empress Market, Garden and Burns Road, they do the talking.
Amidst the usual hustle and bustle of the market, Kamala gets noticed by some random aunts, is approached by a Kurti seller, and lastly, a polaroid photographer takes a picture of her and tries to sell it to her for a whopping Rs. 1500, just because she looked like a Pakistani abroad.
But does it stop here? Nope! She agrees to give him the amount of directions to the train station and here she is again; Karachi’s way of telling people how to get there! The photographer literally asks you to turn left, then another left, and another left, then a little right from the donkey cart. Family, right?
Also, the scene showing Kamala and her new friend Karim sitting on the beach around a campfire eating biryani straight from a plastic bag, with the boys playing Sajjad Ali’s music.
baby’, makes it a true Karachi hangout.
Lastly, the episode’s fight and chase scene shows the protagonist fleeing in a legitimate Qingqi (Chin-chi) with her new friends, including Farhan Akhtar, while the antagonist (Nimra Bucha) chases after them in a rickshaw. Furthermore, the antagonist’s accomplice also snatches a truck adorned in traditional truck art, which makes the whole episode say a lot about Karachi.
What did you think of Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s portrayal of Karachi in Ms. Marvel? How do you think the series will develop? Your opinion in the comments section.
