After The Times of India reported early last year that Bollywood star Farhan Akhtar (Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara; Toofaan) had joined the cast of an undisclosed Marvel Studios series, Deadline has confirmed that he will indeed appear in Ms. Marvel in a guest-starring role.
Further details on his character are currently unknown, but he was reportedly part of the series' Bangkok shoot. The city has been rumored to serve as a backdrop for Pakistan, so there's a strong possibility he might play a role in the Red Dagger's (Aramis Knight) origin story.
Akhtar, the son of legendary Indian screenwriter Javed Akhtar, is a multi-faceted talent, starting his career as a writer, director, and producer under his Excel Entertainment production house, where he directed the blockbusters Don - The Chase Begins Again and Don 2 starring global megastar Shah Rukh Khan, Dil Chahta Hai starring Aamir Khan, and Lakshya starring Hrithik Roshan.
He later transitioned into acting and has starred in a number of major hits, including, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, Rock On!!, and Bhaag Milkha Bhaag. His most recent release was the boxing drama Toofaan, which launched on Amazon Prime Video last summer.
Akhtar will soon return to the director's chair with the comedy-drama Jee Le Zaraa, starring Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Katrina Kaif, and Alia Bhatt, which is currently in pre-production.
The upcoming series stars Iman Vellani in the title role, with a supporting cast consisting of Aramis Knight, Saagar Shaikh, Rish Shah, Zenobia Shroff, Mohan Kapur, Matt Lintz, Yasmeen Fletcher, Laith Nakli, Azhar Usman, Travina Springer, and Nimra Bucha.
Ms. Marvel starts streaming June 8!
Marvel Studios’ Ms. Marvel is a new, original series that introduces Kamala Khan, a Muslim American teenager growing up in Jersey City. An avid gamer and a voracious fan-fiction scribe, Kamala is a Super Hero mega fan with an oversized imagination—particularly when it comes to Captain Marvel. Yet Kamala feels like she doesn’t fit in at school and sometimes even at home—that is, until she gets super powers like the heroes she’s always looked up to. Life gets better with super powers, right?