Top Cast for ‘Mira, Royal Detective’ on Disney Junior

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The much-awaited Disney Junior’s animated series ‘Mira, Royal Detective’, featuring a cast of characters set in a fictional land in India, has voiceover by top notch Indian American and Indian-origin actors. It will premiere in the U.S. on March 20, 2020.

Disney Channel India will also be premiering a sneak-peek that same day, followed by the series premiere on Sunday, March 22.

Set in the magical Indian-inspired land of Jalpur, the series introduces a brave and resourceful girl named Mira, a commoner who is appointed to the role of royal detective by the queen. Following its premiere in the U.S. and India, the series will roll out worldwide in an estimated 160 countries on Disney Channel and Disney Junior platforms globally.

‘Mira, Royal Detective,’ which has already been ordered for a second season, stars Freida Pinto, Kal Penn, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Hannah Simone, Jameela Jamil, Aparna Nancherla, Aasif Mandvi, Karan Soni, Maulik Pancholy, Sarayu Blue and Sarita Choudhury.

Newcomer Leela Ladnier, 16, stars as the voice of Mira, alongside additional cast members Roshni Edwards, Kamran Lucas, Karan Brar, Parvesh Cheena and Sonal Shah.

Joining the previously announced cast in recurring and guest star roles are Kunal Nayyar (“The Big Bang Theory”), Danny Pudi (Disney’s “DuckTales”), Iqbal Theba (“Glee”), Sunita Mani (“GLOW”), Karen David (“Fear the Walking Dead”), Rizwan Manji (“Perfect Harmony”), Hari Kondabolu (“Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell”), Nardeep Khurmi (“Jane the Virgin”), Aarti Sequeira (“The Next Food Network Star”), Avantika Vandanapu (Disney+ Original Series “Diary of a Future President”), Julian Zane (Disney’s “Doc McStuffins”), Brian George (“The Big Bang Theory”), Sakina Jaffrey (“House of Cards”) and Madhur Jaffrey (“I Feel Bad”).

Created for kids age 2-7 and their families, ‘Mira, Royal Detective’ centers on Mira, who, along with her friend Prince Neel, creative cousin Priya, and comical mongoose sidekicks Mikku and Chikku, set out on mystery-solving adventures that highlight critical thinking and encourage deductive reasoning for young viewers, according to press materials released by Disney Junior.

Freida Pinto voices Queen Shanti, the regal figure who hires Mira to investigate mysteries in the kingdom, according to Entertainment Weekly. Jameela Jamil, who just said goodbye to The Good Place, will be giving voice to a new character in ‘Mira, Royal Detective’, Auntie Pushpa. Kal Penn provides the voice for the adorable Mikku, one of Mira’s mongoose sidekicks. Utkarsh Ambudkar lends his voice to Chikku, Mira’s other mongoose sidekick. Hannah Simone takes on the character of Pinky, a young commoner. Aasif Mandvi voices Mira’s father, Sahil. Aparna Nancherla (BoJack Horseman) portrays Mira’s cousin Meena, the report said.

Each episode is comprised of two 11-minute stories that celebrate the cultures and customs of India by incorporating authentic food, fashion, language and art. Reflecting their importance in Indian culture, music and dance play an integral role in “Mira, Royal Detective,” with each episode featuring at least one original song and dance number that showcases the diversity of the culture.

A music video featuring a mash-up of the series’ main title song and Mira’s song, “We’re on the Case,” will debut Friday, Feb. 21, on DisneyMusicVevo and in the DisneyNOW app. In conjunction with the series premiere on Friday, March 20, Walt Disney Records will release a digital soundtrack with 20 songs from the series, and the DisneyNOW app will debut a hidden object game in which players are invited to help Mira solve mysteries by following a trail of clues in an immersive 3D environment. Additional extensions for the series will continue to roll out later this year.

In advance of the series premiere, Disney Parks, Experiences & Products will debut a product line by Just Play at the 2020 American International Toy Fair. Featuring dolls, role-play products, figures, playset and more, the line is set to release Fall 2020.

Emmy® Award-nominated Sascha Paladino (“Miles from Tomorrowland”) is executive producer of the series. Becca Topol (“Elena of Avalor”) is series developer and story editor, and will also serve as co-producer on season two. IW Group’s Shagorika Ghosh Perkins is the series’ cultural consultant and consulting producer. Additional consultants include Bollywood dancer and choreographer Nakul Dev Mahajan (“So You Think You Can Dance”) and music producer Deepak Ramapriyan (“Basmati Blues”). Emmy Award nominees Matthew Tishler (“High School Musical: The Musical: The Series”) and Jeannie Lurie (“The Muppets”) write and produce the original songs, and Amritha Vaz (“Miss India America”) serves as composer. The series is produced by Wild Canary in association with Disney Junior, with animation provided by Technicolor India.