With Asian Pacific American Heritage Month kicking off on May 1, Disney Junior will debut three new episodes and a new short-form interstitial series of “Mira, Royal Detective” with one of the episodes featuring the voices of Kunal Nayyar (“The Big Bang Theory”) and Rizwan Manji (“Schitt’s Creek”).
Manji featured in the May 3 episode, highlighting the Eid al-Fitr holiday, where he voiced Mr. Khan, the spice merchant who has a special ingredient for ladoos that Meena and Priya want to make for their father Naveen’s (Kunal Nayyar) homecoming party. Manji’s real-life daughter, Ayana Manji, also guest starred together in the special Eid al-Fitr episode on May 3.
In the episode titled “The Eid Mystery,” Mira’s friend Sadia asks for her help in solving a case when they find a lost holiday eidi gift envelope on the ground. The new season will include episodes celebrating the festivals of Teej and Dasara, as well as four extended-length music- and dance-filled specials.
On top of the three episodes, there was also the short-form interstitial series “We’re on the Case,” which follows Mira and her mongoose friends, Mikku and Chikku, as they embark on mystery-solving adventures for young viewers to follow along at home that highlighted the vibrant culture and heritage of India. The first short debuted, May 1.
Disney Junior will also take viewers hind-the-scenes look at the series’ Bollywood music video with choreographer Nakul Dev Mahajan. We will also be introduced to Leela Ladnier, the voice of Mira, in on-air interstitials that will air throughout the month.
“Mira, Royal Detective” follows a young girl who is appointed to the role of Royal Detective as she travels throughout the magical Indian-inspired kingdom of Jalpur solving mysteries for her friends and family. The series touches on key cultural themes like the importance of family, food and traditions.
The series cast voice actors such as Freida Pinto, Kal Penn, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Hannah Simone, Jameela Jamil, Aparna Nancherla and Aasif Mandvi. Recurring guest stars include Danny Pudi, Kunal Nayyar, Hari Kondabolu, Karen David and Aarti Sequeira. Actors Ritesh Rajan, Lilly Singh, Tiya Sircar, Usman Ally and world-renowned musician Zakir Hussain are among the additional guest voice cast for season two.