Zohran Mamdani, a New York State Assembly member representing Queens, is gaining national attention as one of the 12 candidates running for the 2025 New York City mayoral election.
Mamdani’s political journey
Mamdani began his political journey as a housing counsellor, working with low-income homeowners in Queens to prevent foreclosures. This grassroots work fueled his drive to enter public service. In 2020, he was elected to the New York State Assembly for the 36th District, becoming the first South Asian man, the first Ugandan, and the third Muslim to hold that position. His work has focused on tenant rights, social equity, and public housing reform.
What is his mayoral bid?
Zohran Mamdani is campaigning on a bold progressive agenda. His platform includes freezing rent, making buses and childcare free, launching a Department of Community Safety, and creating city-owned grocery stores. His grassroots campaign has already out-fundraised all other candidates in its first cycle, signalling strong public interest in his vision.
Mamdani adds “desi tadka” to his campaign
Infusing his campaign with a distinct “desi tadka” to connect with South Asian voters and highlight his multicultural identity, Mamdani recently released a campaign video in Hindi, referencing iconic Bollywood films and directly addressing Indian-origin New Yorkers. In the video, he echoes a famous line from the film Deewar, pitting himself against rival Andrew Cuomo and emphasising his commitment to ordinary people over the wealthy elite. The video’s caption—“Billionaires already have everything. Now, your time has come”.
He addresses the audience as “brothers and sisters,” urging them to seize the moment with only “20 days left” in the election.
Mamdani video post on X opens with a dramatic clip from the 1975 classic Deewar, where Amitabh Bachchan’s character Vijay lists his material possessions with swagger: “Aaj mere paas buildingein hain, property hai, bangla hai, bank balance hai, gaadi hai. Tumhare paas kya hai?” (“Today I have buildings, property, a bungalow, a bank balance, a car. What do you have?”)
Billionaires ke paas already sab kuchh hai. Ab, aapka time aageya.
— Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@ZohranKMamdani) June 4, 2025
Billionaires already have everything. Now, your time has come. pic.twitter.com/bJcgxzt37S
Before Shashi Kapoor’s iconic reply can be heard, the scene abruptly cuts. Enter Zohran Mamdani—arms outstretched in Shah Rukh Khan’s trademark pose—responding with just one word: “Aap.” (“I have you, the people.”)
Mamdani also draws on the iconic phrase “Roti, Kapda aur Makaan” — the title of the 1974 Manoj Kumar classic — to underscore his campaign’s central message: the fight for basic affordability for all New Yorkers.
Mamdani’s family life and education
Born on October 18, 1991, in Kampala, Uganda, Mamdani is the son of acclaimed Indian-American filmmaker Mira Nair and renowned academic Mahmood Mamdani. His middle name, Kwame, honours Ghana’s revolutionary leader Kwame Nkrumah. The family moved to Cape Town and then to New York City when Mamdani was seven.
He attended the Bronx High School of Science and graduated from Bowdoin College in 2014 with a degree in Africana Studies. At Bowdoin, he co-founded a chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine, marking the beginning of his activism.
Mamdani is a practising Shia Muslim. He recently married Rama Duwaji, a Syrian-born illustrator whose work has appeared in publications like The New Yorker and The Washington Post. Their relationship was thrust into the spotlight after online critics accused him of “hiding his wife”—a claim he dismissed by publicly acknowledging their marriage.