With great power comes great responsibility and that is exactly what Zoha exuded on the red carpet premier of Spider-Man: Far From Home. Read below for more !
Are your spidey senses tingling at the release of the new Spider-Man movie too? This past week, we had the honour of dressing one of the iconic Spider-Man: Far From Home stars on the red carpet premiere! The beautiful Zoha, who plays Marvel’s first ever hijabi who is one of Spider-Man’s classmates, chose to wear the White Eros One Shoulder Top and Eros Slit skirt on the carpet! We must say, she looked absolutely stunning! We caught up with Zoha to ask her a few questions about her experiences in the movie, red carpet and the industry!
Keeping reading for the full interview:
1) How did it feel like to walk on the red carpet?
"Surreal! It was amazing being able to float down among faces that we all see on screen while growing up, actually being there in the midst of it all is chaotic but incredible. Such a difficult feeling to describe" !
2) What does it feel like to be a part of Marvel?
"I feel so blessed to have this opportunity and at the same time I am so glad my hard work is paying off. It’s really a dream come true to be part of something everyone grows up with".
3) Why did you want to support the brand and Canadian fashion?
"I knew I wanted to take all the South Asian women that inspired me onto that red carpet with me! I wanted to share my platform and my exposure with all of us. So, most aspects of my 'look' were an ode to where I come from and who I am, because you barely see us on a carpet like that".
4) What do you like about the MANI JASSAL pieces?
"Mani Jassal is the perfect blend of East meets West, and the piece I chose was dreamlike and whimsical, exactly how I was feeling about my red carpet debut! The team was wonderful, we had all the adjustments sorted over the phone as I was in London and they were in Toronto. The dress was then delivered to Los Angeles. They made the whole process completely seamless (pun intended)".
5) What does it feel like to be the first Muslim to wears a hijab in the Spider-Man films?
"Honoured, thats honestly how I feel. I grew up in a Muslim country and Muslim household, and to be able to represent us in a 'normal' light is such a breath of fresh air. To be able to take the women and girls I grew up with and I admire onto such a global platform is truly an honour".
6) Why is it important to support South Asian women on the red carpet?
"We keep seeing caricatures of ourselves and irresponsible portrayals of our cultures on mainstream platforms. Some of us will grow to distance ourselves from our truth for fear of being ridiculed, so for a South Asian woman seeing herself or her creations on a red carpet of that scale means that our collective identity is hard working, strong, independent, goalachieving and barrier breaking. Citizens are validated and we are an important fragment of our communities. Nothing about our roots or the shade of our skin is 'other'. I believe strongly in sharing my achievements and using any platforms I am offered to lift us all up".
7) Who is your favourite character and movie in Marvel?
"Growing up it was always Spider-Man, but now that we have so many more characters, I have to say I adore Shuri from Black Panther. Her wit and her intelligence is so relatable and she's a great role model for younger girls as well"!
8) If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why?
"Probably teleportation! I love traveling but I hate flying! With teleportation I could avoid aeroplanes and long car journeys and get my work or my holidays started quicker".
9) We know you were previously in law school, what made you want to pursue a career in acting?
"I always had a thespian streak. I indulged it a lot, from school plays to university drama societies, I acted and modelled part time while I was studying Law. It was always my true passion. I just never realized until I came face to face with the choice of having to give it up to pursue Law full time".
10) What is your dream role?
"A South Asian Super hero. How incredible would that be? A global nod to our beautiful cultures and a role model that is truly representative of all the little boys and girls out there who barely see brown skins on screen"!
11) Who would you love to work with?12) Having such an iconic role in this Spiderman film, how will you continue to break boundaries in the industry?
"I want to push my ‘brown-ness’into doors and onto platforms we've never seen before. I will leave those doors open for all of those who wish to follow me up there. I just want us to be seen as more than a diversity check mark, more than just the best friend. We will be the heroes of our own stories and we will drive narratives broader than those driven by the 'struggles of being brown'. We are more than the colour of skin".
13) What is next for you?
"Anything I can get my hands on. I’ve recently signed onto a short film, and I am currently working on a Bollywood feature, so you'll be seeing me around"!
