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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Entertainment
Rabina Khan

Campaign director: Zohran Mamdani’s ideas are indebted to the films of his mother, Mira Nair

Zohran Mamdani on stage with Mira Nair after winning the 2025 New York City mayoral race.
Zohran Mamdani on stage with Mira Nair after winning the 2025 New York City mayoral race. Photograph: Shannon Stapleton/Reuters

When Zohran Mamdani was elected as New York City’s first Muslim mayor and the youngest since 1892, headlines naturally focused on his groundbreaking political rise. But for many, the spotlight also turned to a name that had already long resonated on the global stage – his mother Mira Nair.

A pioneering film-maker with a career spanning more than three decades, Nair has continually reshaped how south Asian identity is portrayed on screen. Now, with her son taking a major public office, the cultural legacy she built appears to echo in the next generation.

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