Pakistanis are filled with pride after Ahad Raza Mir's debut in 'Resident Evil'

Arjun Batra won hearts for his chemistry with Ella Balinska but there's a scene that's got everyone talking

Actor Ahad Raza Mir’s fans have been patiently waiting for his Hollywood debut ever since his casting in Netflix’s Resident Evil was announced. The long wait ended when fans finally witnessed Mir as Arjun Batra in the Netflix series on July 14.

Filled with pride, many took to Twitter to commend the feat with high praises for the Hum Tum actor— so much so, that started trending in not one, but three different places on the microblogging site in Pakistan and India.

The hashtags ‘Ahad Raza Mir’, ‘Ahad X Resident Evil’ and his character’s name ‘Arjun Batra’ were seen in abundance on the bird app. Several of these fans had not only binge-watched the series but also shared their thoughts on Mir’s performance. Others, praised the compelling chemistry between Mir and his co-star Ella Balinska, who stars in the show as Jade. Scenes of Mir and his onscreen daughter also won hearts, screenshots of which surfaced too.

"(Ahad Raza Mir) is the first actor from his country to feature in a Netflix show. So proud of you,” tweeted a user.  Another felt that Mir's recognition was "long due" as an actor.

Me after watching @ahadrazamir in resident evil.#AhadXResidentEvilNetflix #AhadRazaMir #ArjunBatra pic.twitter.com/j7TuH4QKy0

— Misi|Adam Sultan's wife. (@ahadreplykaro) July 14, 2022

"It's so wholesome to see the hype around Ahad Raza Mir. It was honestly long due but better late than never, truly makes me so happy seeing him flourishing and thriving, bigger things await him always!" they wrote.

so wholesome to see the hype around @ahadrazamir it was honestly long due but better late than never, truly makes me so happy seeing him flourishing and thriving, bigger things await him always!#AhadXResidentEvilNetflix

— hina. (@ahadloyalfan) July 13, 2022

A tweep added, "A Pakistani actor starring in a Netflix project is a matter of pride for our entire nation cuz it shows that the Western world is finally picking up on our talent. Plus, what’s better than Ahad Raza Mir representing us? He's not just a guy who only acts well but speaks well too."

A pak actor starring in a Netflix is a matter of pride for our entire nation cuz it shows that the Western world is finally picking up on our talent. Plus what’s better than @ahadrazamir representing us, a guy who not only acts well but speaks well too #AhadXResidentEvilNetflix

— hina. (@ahadloyalfan) July 13, 2022

The ship for Mir and Balinska also sailed. “A bad*** wifey and a protective husband?! Get on the floors already," commented a user. 

Badass wifey X Protective husband.
Get on the floors already. #ResidentEvil #AhadRazaMir pic.twitter.com/mlw8kU11JL

— ★: (@awaraashamx) July 9, 2022

However, some were also taken aback by a “bold kissing scene” between Mir and his costar in the show. In response to which a fan wrote, "Stop being ignorant, he was playing a role, let this man live." But others commented on the lack of backlash thereof, suggested that had a female Pakistani agreed to do the same, Twitter would have unleashed its wrath.

Ahad as Arjun.
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First I Just wanted to say im extremely proud of Ahad and his Hollywood debut, he played his character beautifully, loved every bit of his screen time ❤️
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Secondly, stop being ignorant, he was playing a character, let this man live. @ahadrazamir #AhadRazaMir pic.twitter.com/onRUFvHTRY

— lollyishq (@lollyishq) July 15, 2022

"Ahad Raza Mir is being lauded for his Hollywood debut and his bold scene isn't receiving half as much attention as it would have if a female actor did the same. Nobody would've cared about an achievement that big. It would only be reduced to the scene. Good for Ahad but jow shameful for our society."

Netizens were reminded of how Mawra Hocane in her Bollywood debut Sanam Teri Kasam received hatred for an intimate scene.

But the day was taken up a notch when right after the episode aired, social media users were met with another surprising news of Mir having bagged another foreign project. Taking over Hollywood one project at a time, the Ehd-e-Wafa actor will next be seen in World On Fire’s season 2 that retells the story of WWII from the experiences of six strangers.