Who Was Mira Nair’s First Husband? Inside Zohran Mamdani’s Mom’s Early Marriage
Before she married Zohran’s father, Mira was married to a man named Mitch.
Published Feb. 2 2026, 11:25 a.m. ET
When Zohran Mamdani took office as New York City’s mayor, people quickly started digging into his background. One of the first things that pops is also the simplest — Zohran’s mom is Mira Nair, a notable filmmaker with an impressive list of credits. Then the U.S. Department of Justice released a new batch of records tied to Jeffrey Epstein, and Mira's name began trending again — this time in conversations focused on her first husband.
Long before her son’s rise in politics, Mira built her reputation as a director. The Directors Guild of America credits her career across documentaries, indie features, and studio films, including work like Salaam Bombay!, Mississippi Masala, Monsoon Wedding, Vanity Fair, Amelia, and Queen of Katwe. Her breakout, Salaam Bombay!, landed an Academy Award nomination for Foreign Language Film. Now, as public interest widens, people are looking more closely at Mira's life story, her career, and her first marriage.
Who was Mira Nair’s first husband?
Before she married Zohran’s father, Mira was married to a man named Mitch Epstein, who is a well-known American photographer. EBSCO identifies Mitch as her first spouse and places their marriage during the years when she was developing her early documentary career. Mitch has also spoken openly about that period of his life.
“I went to India about 10 times with my first wife, Mira Nair, the filmmaker, and worked collaboratively on several films there,” he told BOMB Magazine. Adding, “It was extraordinary because the dancers were absolutely generous. We were at a cabaret club that was next to a crematorium. Extremes of sex and death, layered on top of one another — that’s India.”
Is Mitch Epstein related to Jeffrey Epstein?
Despite online speculation, no credible public source links Mitch to Jeffrey. They share a last name, but that’s where the overlap ends. Mitch's biography identifies him as a Massachusetts-born photographer with a career rooted in art and documentary work. Biographies of Jeffrey describe a completely separate life in New York’s finance world and later criminal prosecution.
The renewed attention stems from newly released DOJ materials that include an Oct. 21, 2009, email from publicist Peggy Siegel. The message references an afterparty at Ghislaine Maxwell’s townhouse following a screening connected to Amelia, a film directed by Mira.
“Just left Ghislaine’s townhouse … after party for film,” the email said, per The Indian Express. “Bill Clinton and Jeff Bezos were there … Jean Pigozzi, director Mira Nair … etc. Film received tepid reaction though women like it much more … Hillary Swank and [Richard] Gere are at stupid party in Bloomingdale's cheap sportswear department … very weird.”
The email puts Mira’s name in a social context within a third-party message. However, that reference does not prove anything beyond her inclusion in the email, and it does not amount to an allegation of criminal conduct. No credible outlet has produced an authenticated photograph showing Mira with Jeffrey or his associates, despite viral claims circulating online.