Saagar Shaikh Reveals The Real-Life Older Brother Bond He Developed With Iman Vellani On Ms. Marvel - Exclusive
It's difficult to play a family on TV and not have those dynamics seep into the bonds forged off camera. While the Disney+ series "Ms. Marvel" chronicles the teenage rebellion of Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani), the family dynamics of the Khan family are just as strong and unwavering. Take Kamala's on-screen brother Aamir Khan (Saagar Shaikh), for example — he's the typical older brother that almost anyone with an older sibling can relate to. Kamala feels like he's the favorite child who gets everything he wants, while she gets left in the dust. Of course, Kamala's teenage angst has fueled that narrative just a bit, but at the end of the day, Aamir always has his sister's back when she needs him to get her parents on her side.
As it turns out, Shaikh developed a similar bond with Vellani even when the cameras weren't rolling. During an exclusive interview with Looper, he dished on the real-life older brother bond he developed with Vellani. The journey isn't over for the Khan family with the series, though. Shaikh, along with Kamala's on-screen mother, Muneeba (Zenobia Shroff), and father, Yusuf (Mohan Kapur), also revealed what it was like filming the upcoming film "The Marvels."
The family bonded on and off set
Reflecting on the highlights of working with Iman Vellani, Saagar Shaikh admitted to feeling he's in that protective older brother role with her in real life as well. "I do big time," he said. "We've developed this relationship where I do really feel like ... I don't have a sister in real life. I feel like she's taken that role in my life right now. We've got good banter. We have our own inside jokes, and we get on each other's nerves sometimes, just like a normal sibling relationship would have."
A great off-screen dynamic between the Khans bodes well for the future of the characters and their longevity in the MCU. We already know the actors are slated for "The Marvels," though not what the future holds for the Khan family. The actors couldn't share a whole lot about the project, but they were happy to tease some filming details.
"I'm hoping that people have fun watching it and that we all shine, and that we do our best to make each other and the other cast look as good as possible," Shaikh said, and Zenobia Shroff agreed.
Mohan Kapur was just happy to be there, adding, "Just when we thought that we are so privileged and happy about being in 'Ms. Marvel' ... we segued into 'The Marvels.' It's fabulous because the writers in the Marvel stables, they do such an amazing job of cross-pollinating characters so brilliantly and taking stories forward. It's another big privilege."
The Marvels is a marvel
Of course, Iman Vellani's workload is substantial right now, giving the other three an opportunity to bond. Zenobia Shroff noted, "Iman was off doing a lot of [other things] as she was even in the series. It gave us three a chance to strengthen our family dynamic, very much so. Obviously, she's in and out because she's got a lot of other people she interacts with."
In some ways, shooting "The Marvels" felt like an extension of "Ms. Marvel." Saagar Shaikh explained, "It felt like we were shooting the next episode. We literally finished off of this. Then, maybe a couple of months later, we started working on ['The Marvels'], and it felt like this on steroids."
But before fans get to see the Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) and Ms. Marvel-led movie, we have to finish the series first — there's a whole lot more of the Khan family to look forward to on that front. Shroff summed up "The Marvels" experience best: "It was the best summer camp. It was real fun."
New episodes of "Ms. Marvel" stream Wednesdays on Disney+.