Mira Nair and the future mayor of New York City.
Photo: AFP via Getty Images
Zohran Mamdani’s mother, Mira Nair, managed to sum up the joy of her son’s election win in just three simple words. “Zohran you beauty,” the acclaimed filmmaker wrote on her Instagram Story the night of November 4, when Mamdani won the New York City mayoral race. Nair, who directed Mississippi Masala starring Denzel Washington, celebrated onstage at Mamdani’s Election Night party at the Brooklyn Paramount after his speech. She wore a bright-yellow and blue look that recalled Mamdani’s campaign logo. Defeated opponent Andrew Cuomo’s team specifically referenced her several times in the campaign, with one Cuomo staffer calling Mamdani a “nepo baby” in an August 5 tweet. (Cuomo’s own father, Mario, was a New York governor from 1983 to 1994, as you’ve probably heard him mention.)
Nair and her husband, anthropology professor Mahmood Mamdani, were among the many celebrities from Hollywood and beyond at Mamdani’s victory party. Twitch streamer Hasan Piker, who’s been a proponent of Mamdani’s campaign (and a target in Cuomo’s), was surrounded by press. Cuomo’s former foe in the 2018 gubernatorial primary, Cynthia Nixon, was joined by her Gilded Age co-star Morgan Spector, who starred in a “robber baron” ad endorsing Mamdani on September 9. Leading the all-important “podcast vote” was Jennifer Welch of I’ve Had It, who recently moved to New York City, and dirtbag left pioneer Adam Friedland. Elsewhere in the crowd, Nixon’s Sex and the City co-star Sarah Jessica Parker; comedians Aziz Ansari, Julio Torres, Kal Penn, and Mary Beth Barone; and student activist Mahmoud Khalil all celebrated their new mayor as the DJ played throwback hits like “Lean Back.” Now that’s beautiful.
