Zohran Mamdani becomes New York City Mayor: Zoya Akhtar, Hansal Mehta congratulate Mira Nair: 'Hope in dark times…'

Filmmakers Zoya Akhtar and Hansal Mehta on Wednesday congratulated director Mira Nair after son Zohran Mamdani was elected as the mayor of New York City.

The 34-year-old Indian-descent democrat, son of Nair and Columbia University professor Mahmood Mamdani, defeated independent candidate Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa in the closely-watched battle for New York City Mayor.

Mamdani will be the first Muslim, the first Indian-origin, the first born in Africa, and the youngest one in more than a century when he becomes New York Mayor on January 1.

Akhtar took to Instagram to share her excitement over Mamdani’s election, writing, “Zohran… you beauty. @pagliji, this is for you.” Hansal posted, “Hope in dark times… from far away NYC. Congratulations @zohrankmamdani and proud mom @pagliji.” Sonam Kapoor, Ali Fazal and Tillotama Shome also shared posts about Mamdani’s election.

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Nair, the director behind critically-acclaimed titles “Salaam Bombay!”, “Mississippi Masala”, “Monsoon Wedding”, “The Namesake” and miniseries “A Suitable Boy”, actively participated in Mamdani’s campaign.

In a video message for Moms for Mamdani, a NYC group formed to support the democrat, on October 10, the filmmaker asked all the mothers of the city to “send Zohran forward with all the strength of our collective mama energy”.

“I wish I could be there with you tonight celebrating this incredible community of mothers who care not just for their own families but for the world around them.

“Zohran is imbued with exactly that spirit. Principle, fearless, with a vision for dignity for all. I have seen him grow, lead and listen, and not that I am biased — his is the kind of leadership we need in the world. Rooted in empathy and justice and not power or privilege,” she said.

Mamdani was born and raised in Kampala, Uganda and moved to New York City with his family when he was 7. Mamdani became a naturalised US citizen only recently, in 2018.

In his victory speech, Mandani said, “I am young and I am a Muslim. I refuse to apologise for being a Muslim.” “A moment comes, but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance. Tonight, we have stepped out from the old into the new,” he said, quoting India’s first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru.