As a Muslim of Indian-Ugandan descent, Mamdani's identity invited scrutiny.

Zohran Kwame Mamdani’s grassroots NYC primary win went viral for celebrating immigrant culture, Bangladeshi aunties, and desi identity — blending activism, humour, and heritage into a bold campaign that redefined immigrant political engagement.

In a 2018 conversation with journalist Vir Sanghvi at the Jaipur Literature Festival, Nair shared how she was approached to direct “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix”. At the time, however, she was grieving the sudden loss of her mother-in-law, Kulsoom Alibhai, whom she fondly called “Ammie”. The death occurred while Alibhai was visiting New York for medical treatment.

When Zohran speaks about Palestine, he’s not fishing for applause.