Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai
Mumbai, Dec 22: Actor Mohan Kapur, who portrays Yusuf Khan, the caring father of superhero Kamala Khan in Marvel’s Ms. Marvel, recently spoke about his experiences on the international set, describing it as “heartening” and “deeply disciplined.”
In a candid conversation with filmmaker Pooja Bhatt on her podcast, Kapur reflected on the professional environment during the shoot, particularly noting the visibility of women handling physically demanding technical work. “The thing that was most heartening for me… I saw women doing heavy lifting… big ass lights, literally lifting weights. I was like, ‘behenji main karun?’” he recalled, highlighting the egalitarian approach he observed on set.
Drawing parallels with life during the Covid pandemic, he recounted an encounter at a supermarket where a staff member strictly adhered to his job description, emphasizing that responsibilities were clearly defined—a structure mirrored on the Ms. Marvel set. “In a professional environment in a shooting set, everybody was queued into it. Not learning on the job also because it was Covid… everyone was like a well-oiled machine. You had to be on time doing everything,” Kapur explained.
He also pointed out the culture of accountability, sharing an incident from the first day of shooting when a one-hour delay caused by a camera issue was immediately documented by the executive producer. “Everything had to be accounted for… I find that as a problem in India holistically. There is no accountability,” he remarked.
Despite being the most senior actor on the set, Kapur said he regularly sought feedback from younger co-actors, recognizing differences in performance sensibilities between Indian and international sets. “Even after hearing a wow from people I would go to the younger actors and say, ‘Was I alright? Did I pitch it right?’ … I have worked in India. Our sensibilities and the way we pitch our dialogues and emotions are different,” he explained.
Kapur also highlighted the uniqueness of his Marvel journey, having appeared across three franchises: Ms. Marvel, The Marvels, and Daredevil: Born Again. “Three Marvel franchises… the only character in the Marvel universe that traversed Miss Marvel, The Marvels, and Daredevil,” he noted.
Describing the experience as surreal, he shared, “On the red carpet, they asked me, has your dream come true? I said that coming from India, I never dreamt that I would be here. I don’t have that audacity… But what I am doing is my dream and I don't want to wake up.”
The actor’s reflections offer a glimpse into the disciplined, structured, and inclusive environment of international productions, contrasting sharply with experiences in domestic film industries, while celebrating the milestones of his remarkable Marvel journey.