Nothing could have prepared New Yorkers and the Indian diaspora for Zohran Mamdani‘s winning moment on Tuesday (US time). From quoting the first prime minister of independent India, Jawaharlal Nehru, to walking off the stage after his speech as the wildly popular Bollywood tune “Dhoom Machale” played in the background, the Indian-American instated a new order of identity power play altogether on the New York City mayoral Election Day.

As he addressed a frenzied crowd of supporters, the Indian-origin politician from Queens was joined by his wife, Rama Duwaji, his father and renowned scholar Mahmood Mamdani, and his mother and award-winning filmmaker, Mira Nair, on stage.

Zohran Mamdani’s iconic NYC winning speech

His South Asian family standing by his side after a historic New York City mayor race was a power move in itself. Uganda-born Mamdani, who will become the first Muslim and first Indian-American mayor of the Big Apple, is son to a couple sharing an inter-faith marriage.

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While Mamdani’s mother Mira Nair comes from a Hindu family, his Columbia professor dad is a Muslim. As a result, the self-proclaimed Democratic socialist’s identity is an amalgamation of multiple faiths and cultures.

And so, he made it a point to double down on the same, especially emerging as an anti-Donald Trump figure countering the ongoing vehement immigration crackdown in the US.

– Immigrant identity: Sending a direct message to the US president, Mamdani said during his speech, “So Donald Trump, since I know you’re watching, I have four words for you: Turn the volume up! New York will remain a city of immigrants, a city built by immigrants, powered by immigrants and as of tonight, led by an immigrant.”

– Nehru quote: Declaring his victory as being synonymous to a “political dynasty” being toppled, Mamdani channelled the words of independent India’s first prime minister for his first addressed after winning the New York election race.

Alluding to Nehru’s iconic ‘Tryst with Destiny’ speech, he said, “Standing before you, I think of the words of Jawaharlal Nehru – a moment comes, but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends and when the soul of a nation long suppressed finds utterance. Tonight, we have stepped out from the old into the new.”

– Mamdani’s Bollywood moment: And finally, the first South Asian, who will also the youngest mayor, in NYC history pulled off a special trick from his pocket by walking off the stage as the 2004 “Dhoom Machale” intro became the soundtrack to his real-life political sweep.

Live viewers also took note of how the Bollywood track was even accidentally played mid-speech. While many viewed it is a malfunctioning gaffe, they were even more baffled to see the song actually being played out after his speech’s conclusion.

– Muslim identity affirmation: The Queens politician asserted, “I am young, despite my best efforts to grow older. I am Muslim. I am a democratic socialist. I refuse to apologise for any of this.” Countering any and all backlash and “antisemitic” allegations, Mamdani added, “We will build a City Hall that stands steadfast alongside Jewish New Yorkers and does not waver in the fight against the scourge of antisemitism, where the more than 1 million Muslims know that they belong.”

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Internet positively stunned by Zohran Mamdani’s New York speech

Netizens couldn’t quite believe their eyes and ears, hailing the unmissable victory moment a “Bollywood movie in real life.” Even famed British-American journalist Mehdi Hasan declared online that Mamdani’s NYC win was a big response to “white supremacists.” He wrote on X, “Zohran ended his speech tonight with ‘Dhoom machale’. Bollywood music. Cry more, racist losers.”

Another user cheered on: “dhoom playing when mamdani exits is SO iconic because that is THE bollywood soundtrack of the 2000s. as an indian american i fu**ing love proper brown representation :(“

Someone else chimed in, “Walking off as the nyc mayor-elect to dhoom machale possibly the most iconic thing zohran has ever done.” Yet another added, “Quoted Nehru and then Dhoom Machale at the end… Zohran Mamdani my Goat.”

A bewildered netizen commented, “what do you mean zohrans exit music is dhoom machale. i feel like im in an alternate universe.” Another rejoiced at the vision of New Yorkers having “been exposed to the magic of Dhoom Machale.”

One more tweet read, “Holys*it I truly never thought Dhoom Machale would usher in a socialist mayor (can go on and on about Zohran’s moving and unabashed politics of youthfulness along with everything else that was so insanely on point about this campaign).”