Mira Nair's son Zohran Mamdani runs Bollywood-style campaign
What's the story
Zohran Mamdani, a New York State Assemblyman of Indian descent and son of acclaimed filmmaker Mira Nair, is running for mayor of New York City.
In his latest campaign video, he cleverly uses Bollywood references to connect with voters.
The video features iconic scenes from films like Amitabh Bachchan's Deewar and Shah Rukh Khan's Om Shanti Om as Mamdani emphasizes his commitment to making NYC affordable for all.
Twitter Post
Mamdani's Bollywood-style campaign
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
Campaign strategy
'What Andrew Cuomo is offering...'
Mamdani's campaign video opens with him saying, "If you are only now learning about the election, then this is what Andrew Cuomo is offering."
The next shot shows a famous scene from Deewar where Bachchan asks Shashi Kapoor, "Mere paas building hain, property hain, bangla hain, gaadi hain, bank balance hai, kya hai tumhare paas (I have buildings, properties, bungalows, cars, bank balance. What do you have)?"
To which Mamdani replies, "Mere pass aap hain (I have you)."
Political message
It's not about what he'll become...
He tells voters in Hindi that they have "raised $8 million because of the people, knocked on six lakh doors and are now this close to choosing the city's first South Asian mayor."
He adds that it's not about "what he'll become" but "what he'll do" for every New Yorker.
Policy proposals
Mamdani promises to tackle issues like rising cost of living
Mamdani highlights the pressing issues New Yorkers face, including the rising cost of living. He vows to bring about change through policies like rent freezes, free buses, universal childcare, and affordable groceries.
He also explains New York City's ranked-choice voting system using five tumblers of lassi (a traditional Indian drink), making it easier for people unfamiliar with the process to understand.
Voting appeal
Mamdani urges voters to rank him as their 1st choice
Mamdani ends the video by urging voters to rank him as their first choice on the ballot.
He also lists other candidates they can choose from and asks them not to vote for Cuomo because "his campaign is being run using funds from Trump's donors."
According to recent polling data, Cuomo's lead has shrunk to just two points, with Cuomo at 51% and Mamdani at 49%, with a margin of error of plus/minus three points in NYC's ranked-choice voting system.