Did Zohran Mamdani Address NYC Students In 'Bengali' To Promote Free Broadway Tickets? Here's The Truth Behind Viral Video
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani drew attention by speaking Bengali and Mandarin in videos promoting more than 2,000 free Broadway tickets for high school students. His Bengali message quickly went viral, while viewers questioned whether his Mandarin clip was AI-generated. Mamdani’s spokesperson Joe Calvello rejected the speculation, saying, “And just to be clear this is NOT AI”
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is drawing attention for using Bengali and Mandarin in videos aimed at connecting with the city’s diverse communities. His multilingual messages were meant to promote a new Broadway initiative for high school students, but the mayor’s language skills soon became a bigger talking point online.
Mamdani first caught viewers by addressing New York City high school students in Bengali while promoting a giveaway of more than 2,000 free Broadway tickets. He opened with “Kemon acho,” meaning “How are you,” before explaining the program in Bengali.
“Amra New York City pokkho theke Broadway show dekhaar jonne 2,000 er beshi free tickets dichhi,” he said, meaning, “We are giving more than 2,000 free tickets from the City of New York for Broadway shows.”
He also told students that entering the lottery would come with two months of free membership to the Theatre Development Fund. Mamdani ended the Bengali announcement by saying, “Thikachey, tahole dekha hobe show te” — “Alright then, see you at the show.”
Mamdani’s Mandarin video adds to the buzz
The mayor’s multilingual outreach did not stop with Bengali. In another video, Mamdani spoke Mandarin directly to the camera for about 41 seconds while sitting at his desk.
The clip surprised many viewers and prompted some social media users to question whether artificial intelligence had been used to generate or manipulate his speech.
The speculation was strong enough that Mamdani’s team stepped in to clarify the matter.
‘This is NOT AI,’ Mayor’s spokesperson says
Mamdani’s press secretary and chief spokesperson Joe Calvello rejected the claims outright.
“And just to be clear this is NOT AI,” Calvello wrote on X on Sunday while responding to the Mandarin-language video.
The clarification came amid growing public skepticism over videos featuring politicians speaking unfamiliar languages, particularly as AI tools can now convincingly generate translated voices, lip movements and digitally altered footage.
Mamdani’s ability to speak Mandarin also has a personal connection. He studied the language while attending the Bronx High School of Science, although he has not routinely used it in public.
Free broadway tickets for NYC students
The videos were released to promote a partnership offering more than 2,000 free Broadway tickets to New York City high school students through a lottery. Selected students can receive up to two tickets for one of seven participating Broadway productions.
The initiative is designed to make Broadway more accessible to young New Yorkers who may otherwise find ticket prices prohibitive.
RECENT STORIES
-
-
-
-
-