Farhan Akhtar: Absolutely loved that Marvel chose to do a show centred on a Pakistani Muslim girl

Actor-filmmaker Farhan Akhtar, who had recently made his web series debut Ms. Marvel, believes actors today have the opportunities to expand their work not just across India but also around the world - a situation that didn’t exist a decade ago.

Talking to Indian Express about the globalisation of Indian performers, the Rock On actor said that he remembered a time when actors were not able to leap over the borders in the country, much less star in international films.

“Honestly, you are seeing the evolution yourself,” he said. “How many actors or people from India were working in other parts of the world 10 or 15 years ago? You could count them on your fingertips. That has already changed. Irrfan was a great example, and Om Puri before him was another great example. Priyanka (Chopra) is doing exceedingly well and Alia (Bhatt) is also doing a film now (in Hollywood).”

He also mentioned that he understands the shift that is happening now and is delighted about the effort for variety by filmmakers that in turn results in unique narratives in western movies.

Substantiating this, the actor said he “absolutely loved” the concept of Ms. Marvel since it centres on a Pakistani Muslim girl. “And that’s something I truly loved about Ms Marvel. That it’s about a Pakistani Muslim girl. To imagine that Marvel would be making a story with her, and at the centre of it, is something very unique and new. And it was exciting to be a part of it,” he said.

Meanwhile, Farhan is gearing up to direct Jee Le Zaraa, which will feature Priyanka Chopra, Katrina Kaif and Alia Bhatt in the lead. He is also a co-producer on Phone Bhoot, a film starring Katrina Kaif, Siddharth Chaturvedi, and Ishaan Khatter.