KARACHI: The producer of “Peechay Hutt,” a Pakistani hit featured in the “Ms. Marvel” series, said on Tuesday the collaboration was bringing more visibility to Pakistan through one of the most exciting things the country has to offer: its music.
Co-directed by Oscar-winning Pakistani filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, “Ms. Marvel” is the first Muslim character to have her own comic book series and has already made history for South Asian and Muslim representation.
It stars Pakistani-Canadian actor Iman Vellani as the lead character, Kamala Khan, a 16-year-old high school student and superhero fangirl who discovers she has powers of her own.
The official “Ms. Marvel” poster already features artwork by Pakistani illustrator Shehzil Malik and now will also have Pakistani music in its soundtrack — “Peechay Hutt” (“Back off”) by Hasan Raheem, Talal Qureshi, and Justin Bibis, which features in the 14th edition of the country's most popular music show, Coke Studio, curated and produced by Zulfiqar “Xulfi” Jabbar Khan.
Khan announced the collaboration in an Instagram post.
“I am overjoyed, probably a little speechless as well. It is a dream come true,” Xulfi told Arab News. “It is visibility as well as awareness regarding Pakistan for the world. Coke Studio and ‘Ms. Marvel,’ we are both trying to do the same thing — both wanting to talk to the world about what Pakistan is.”
“Through art, through art we tell our identity to people,” he said. “We offer something extremely interesting and exciting to the world; the way we are and the kind of music we have.”
The song is about taking charge, standing out and winning.
For Xulfi, it is very relevant to “Ms. Marvel.”
“Like the words ‘rasta chhodiye ab hum aa gaye’ (‘get out of the way, we are here now’),” he said. “It is a Pakistani superhero and the song answers so many things.”
The "Ms. Marvel" series premiered on the Disney+ streaming service on June 8, 2022, and will consist of six episodes, concluding on July 13.
