India Post News Service
Disney Junior’s new animated series, “Mira, Royal Detective” has been well received, especially among the Asian American community, who have praised the show for its depiction of Indian culture and customs.
Featuring the voices of South Asian actors Freida Pinto (“Slumdog Millionaire”), Kal Penn (“Sunnyside”), Jameela Jamil (“The Good Place”), Aasif Mandvi (“Evil”), Utkarsh Ambudkar (“Pitch Perfect”) and newcomer Leela Ladnier, the show premiered Friday, March 20 on Disney Junior and Disney Channel.
“We applaud Disney for the development of [“Mira, Royal Detective”] and how it introduces and projects the beauty and diversity of South Asian culture, music, attire and religion to its audience. The show allows children of South Asian heritage to see themselves in the show and how their culture also deserves to be celebrated and shared.” – Gujari Singh, Communications Director of the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF)
“Mira, Royal Detective” is a groundbreaking new children’s series set in a fictional kingdom but incorporating authentic Indian customs and culture. It is the rare example of a series that actually stars a South Asian character who gets to tell her own stories, instead of just serving a supporting role.” – Daniel Mayeda, Chair of the Asian Pacific American Media Coalition (APAMC)
“Thirty years ago, when I was my daughter’s age, as a first generation South Asian American kid, I was never able to see myself in my favorite TV shows or movies. […] Finally having a show with a full South Asian cast set in India is tremendous. […] My baby girl pointing at posters of Mira, a thoughtful problem solver who helps others as a Royal Detective, exclaiming ‘just like Iya!’ This is why representation matters, and I couldn’t be a more emotional and excited mama!” – Irene Khan, South Asian digital beauty influencer and parent to a young daughter.
“Mira, Royal Detective” is a welcome addition to animated children’s programming that features a smart and dynamic heroine and captures the customs, colors and music of South Asia. There is a veritable collection of the voice talents of notable actors from the South Asian diaspora. The stories have characters with South Asian names who hold a variety of careers and jobs (from queen to kulfi vendor to dance instructor to inventor) and exhibit traits such as creativity, compassion and competitive-ness that make up a broad and detailed world for Mira and friends to have adventures. ” – Shilpa Davé, author of “Indian Accents: Brown Voice and Racial Performance in American TV and Film” and professor of Media Studies at University of Virginia
Excitement for the show also came from bloggers who posted their thoughts on “Mira, Royal Detective:” Phil Yu of Angry Asian Man and mom-friendly social media influencers, Arushi Garg of The Snazzy Mom and Veena Crownholm.
New episodes of “Mira, Royal Detective” will continue to premiere Fridays at 11:00 a.m. ET/PT on Disney Channel and will also be available on Disney Junior and DisneyNOW. Each episode will showcase different elements of Indian culture, and feature guest roles from well-known South Asian stars such as Danny Pudi (“Community”, “DuckTales”), Kunal Nayyar (“The Big Bang Theory”), Hari Kondabolu (“Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell”), Aarti Sequeira (“The Next Food Network Star”) and Avantika Vandanapu (“Diary of a Future President”).
