Mrunal Thakur: For long, young girls didn't see representation on screen

Actor Mrunal Thakur has been garnering praise for her voiceover role as India's first female animated superhero Priya, in the short film Priya's Mask.

"I obviously take pride in this. This came from a place of personal passion and I am elated that fans have taken to Priya with such gusto," said Mrunal.

She feels the audience, especially young girls, has taken a liking for such attempts because they find representation on screen, which was mostly missing all along.

"For the longest time, young girls who looked like you and me did not see much representation. Priya is rooted in our value system and, at the same time, has an edge. She is a figure of power. She is gritty and fierce. A young girl can look at her and go, 'if Priya can fight it, so can I'. She is inspiring and that's what superheroes have done traditionally. I am grateful to the creators for making me voice her and I hope love for her keeps pouring in, with every series," she told IANS.

The animated series, named a 'gender equality champion' by UN Women, was created by documentary filmmaker and technologist Ram Devineni and written by Shubhra Prakash, with illustrations and animation by Syd Fini, Hamid Bahrami and Neda Kazemifar.

This particular series marks protagonist Priya remodelled as a gutsy girl. Set against the rustic backdrop of Jodhpur, it narrates the story of eight-year-old Meena and her working mother, who nurses Covid-infected patients.

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