It is always a proud moment when a Pakistani outshines in a foreign country but the excitement is on another level when a fellow Karachiite became the newest Marvel superhero and the first Pakistani to star in a Marvel Universe film. Yes, we are talking about Silicon Valley and the Big Sick star Kumail Nanjiani. The Pakistani-American actor recently stole our hearts when he chose to stay true to his Pakistani roots and donned a Pakistani designer at the Eternals premiere in Los Angeles.
Nanjiani — who will be playing cosmic-energy-powered superhero Kingo in the movie — wore a purple-and-gold traditional Pakistani sherwani made by Umar Sayeed, in consultation with stylist Jeanne Yang. According to Hollywood Reporter, the actor got a little help from his mom in figuring out what to wear for his MCU red carpet debut. He enlisted his mother, Shabana, to find a designer in Pakistan who would make him a traditional Pakistani sherwani to wear for the occasion.
“I wanted to wear a Sherwani because 1. They look awesome and 2. My costume in the film always reminded me of Sherwanis. And I wanted to use a designer in Pakistan, not just a Pakistani designer in the US. So, I called my mom, she gave me names of three amazing designers in Pakistan,” he told Hollywood Reporter.
Nanjiani’s stylist, Jeanne Yang, and the actor connected with the House of Umar Sayeed, via Instagram. For inspiration, Yang sent pictures to the designer showing “the colors and the vibe” of his onscreen look in Eternals, Nanjiani’s superhero character assumes the identity of a Bollywood star.
“I wanted the colors to be similar to my costume colors, and purple and gold are a beautiful combination. The paisley pattern is very traditional as well,” Nanjiani told the publication.
Read: Kumail Nanjiani talks about pressures of playing a Pakistani superhero in Marvel film
Umar Sayeed’s creation looked regal and royal yet it fit the persona of a superhero. “They hand-beaded this beautiful paisley pattern in the front and they did this beautiful pattern on the back with gold thread. They made it to his exact measurements. We only had to do a few minor adjustments,” Yang explained, adding, “It was wonderful for Kumail to have this gorgeous handmade piece for this special event, his first Marvel film. It’s really nice that he’s able to wear something that is a traditional piece of wardrobe. I love that he has an appreciation for where he comes from.”
The ace couturier shared Nanjiani’s pictures in his bespoke sherwani on Instagram and the brand said they were “very humbled and excited” to see Nanjiani in their creation. “It was a pleasure working with him and his team.”
Nanjiani paired his look with a Patek Philippe watch and Christian Louboutin shoes. The actor walked the red carpet alongside his costars Angelina Jolie, Salma Hayek, Kit Harington and Richard Madden. Eternals will release on November 5th, 2021.
