Before he made history as New York’s newly elected mayor, Zohran Mamdani was just a politically curious college student being lovingly teased by his mother, acclaimed filmmaker Mira Nair, as a "chaalu fellow."
The 34-year-old Indian-origin Democrat, son of Monsoon Wedding director Mira Nair and Columbia University professor Mahmood Mamdani, recently defeated independent candidate Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa to win one of the most powerful political seats in the United States.
But over a decade ago, during a 2013 interview with Hindustan Times, Nair had shared a glimpse into her son’s upbringing. She had stated that it is rooted deeply in Indian culture despite his global exposure.
"He is a total desi. Completely. We are not firangs at all. He is very much us. He was born in Uganda, raised between India and America. He is at home in many places. He thinks of himself as a Ugandan and as an Indian," Nair said.
At the time, Zohran was a 21-year-old junior in college, studying Arabic and Politics. "He is a very chaalu fellow. We speak only Hindustani at home. He is involved with popular culture but he is not into movies, as in he doesn’t make them (unlike me)," Nair had added with a laugh.
The filmmaker, who left India at 19 and now divides her time between Uganda, New York, and India, said she had always been deliberate about keeping her son grounded and away from the film-world spotlight. "Yes, we are not filmy people," she said, and added that Zohran often visited India.
Back then, Nair had also shared that she didn’t see her son following her cinematic path. "He should do whatever he wants to do. I don’t see it in him to make movies. He is very involved with current affairs, politics, and political issues. I think he can be engaged in the world in some way to make a difference."
More than a decade later, her words ring prophetic as Zohran, once a politically curious student, now leads one of the world’s most dynamic cities.
