Jameela Jamil talks “empowering” Disney Junior series ‘Mira, Royal Detective’

Disney Junior(NEW YORK) — Looking for a way to entertain and educate your kids during this time of COVID-19 self-quarantine? Look no further than Disney Junior’s new show, Mira, Royal Detective.  

The animated series, inspired by the culture and customs of India, follows Mira, a young girl who’s appointed to the role of royal detective by the queen and travels throughout the kingdom solving cases.

Jameela Jamil, who voices the “over-the-top” Auntie Pushpa in the show, says she’s proud to be part of an all South Asian cast representing a South Asian story. It’s a show she wishes she had when she was a kid.

“I thought the only way that I could be considered beautiful or relevant was if I was a white princess with long blond curly hair and a two inch waist,” Jamil tells ABC Audio. “And now being able to be a part of a show that not only represents a different type of culture and a different type of beauty and a different type of representation…it’s empowering on so many different levels.”

As for her character, she says she got to “unleash my biggest inner child” while playing Auntie Pushpa.

“Much like myself, she is a bit much,” Jamil laughs. “And she’s just this very dramatic, ridiculous…she’s kind of almost like [her The Good Place character] Tahani, old.”

Mira, Royal Detective — which also features the voices of Kal Penn, Freida Pinto, Hannah Simone and more — premieres Friday at 11:00 a.m. ET/PT on Disney Channel and 7:00 p.m. ET/PT on Disney Junior. It’s already been picked up for season two.

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