Who Are Zohran Mamdani's Parents? Meet Mahmood Mamdani and Mira Nair
Zohran won the Democratic mayoral primary for New York City.
Published June 25 2025, 2:34 p.m. ET
In June of 2025, Zohran Mamdani won the Democratic mayoral primary for New York City, and people are wondering who the politician's parents are. Zohran surprised everyone when he beat the former governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo, in the Democratic primary for mayor of New York City. Folks may also be surprised to learn that he is the son of a famous couple.
If Zohran wins the mayoral race, he will make history as the city's first Muslim mayor, as well as the city's first Asian American mayor. So, who are his famous parents?
Zohran Mamdani's parents are author Mahmood Mamdani and filmmaker Mira Nair.
Zohran's father is Indian-born Ugandan academic and author Mahmood Mamdani, and his mother is Indian-American filmmaker Mira Nair, per The Times of India. The politician was born in Kampala, Uganda, in 1991.
After spending his early years growing up in Cape Town, the young progressive moved with his parents to New York City when he was 7. Mahmood is known for his work on political violence, African history, and colonialism, and he has taught at Columbia University. He is also the Director of the Makerere Institute of Social Research in Uganda.
Mira is an acclaimed filmmaker and founder of the New York-based production company, Mirabai Films.
Learn all about Mira Nair's films.
Mira is known for several films, including the 1991 film Mississippi Masala, starring Denzel Washington. She is also known for the 1988 film Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love, the 2001 rom-com Monsoon Wedding, the 2004 film Vanity Fair starring Reese Witherspoon, and the 2009 biopic about aviator Amelia Earhart, Amelia, starring Hilary Swank.
Mira won the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film for her 1988 film Salaam Bombay!, and she also won the Caméra d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival for the movie. Mira also won the 2002 British Independent Film Award for Best Foreign Independent Film — Foreign Language for Monsoon Wedding and the 2007 Bollywood Movie Award – Pride of India Award for her achievements.
Both Mahmood and Mira attended Harvard University, and the duo were married in 1991.
As for her son, Zohran was elected to the New York State Assembly in 2021, and he's received endorsements from Sen. Bernie Sanders, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, New York Attorney General Letitia James, former Labor Secretary Robert Reich, and former Representative Jamaal Bowman.
If elected, Zohran plans to lower the cost of living for New Yorkers by immediately freezing rent for all rent-stabilized tenants, eliminating bus fares in NYC, fast-tracking affordable housing development, investing in mental health programs, and taxing New Yorkers earning more than $1 million annually at 2 percent.
He married Syrian artist Rama Duwaji earlier this year at the New York City Clerk's office. The couple began dating in 2022 and celebrated their engagement in Dubai with friends and family in December of last year.