As Zohran Mandani takes the oath as New York City's Mayor, here's everything to know about his parents, Mira Nair and Mahmood Mamdani.
Zohran Mamdani was sworn in as the mayor of New York City on January 1, 2026. At 34, Zohran made history as the city's first Muslim mayor and its youngest in generations. The formal oath was administered in a private ceremony around 12:15 a.m. at the decommissioned Old City Hall subway station, a location chosen to emphasize the importance of public transit. New York Attorney General, Letitia James administered the oath. Besides becoming the first Muslim and youngest mayor of NYC, Zohran Mamdani also registered another first.
Zohran became the first to hold the office after taking the oath using a Quran. He utilised his grandfather's copy of the religious text and a 200-year-old edition from the New York Public Library. Zohran's wife, Rama Duwaji, held out the Quran over which he took his oath of office, as reported by the BBC. A ceremonial swearing-in took place at 1:00 p.m. at City Hall, overseen by Senator Bernie Sanders, followed by a public block party. Zohran Mamdani's proud parents, Mira Nair and Mahmood Mamdani, were also present at the ceremony. Here's everything we know about the couple.
The love story of filmmaker, Mira Nair and scholar, Mahmood Mamdani started in 1989. While researching her film, Mississippi Masala, Mira Nair came across Mahmood's book, From Citizen to Refugee. She sought him out for an interview on March 29, 1989. During their conversations, the two reportedly "fell in love almost instantly." Notably, Mira was previously married to photographer, Mitchell Epstein, and was initially hesitant to remarry due to her past experience.
Mira also questioned if Mahmood Mamdani could handle the demanding, "soldier-like" lifestyle of a filmmaker who travels for months. As he assured her he could, the couple got married in 1991 in a quiet ceremony at Mira's cousin's house in Toronto, attended by only eight people, before registering the marriage in New York City. In the same year, they welcomed their son and only child, Zohran Mandani.
Mira Nair is an internationally acclaimed Indian-American filmmaker and humanitarian. She is celebrated for her cinematic storytelling that explores themes of cultural identity and social divides. Mira's breakthrough came with the Bollywood film, Salaam Bombay! (1988), which won the Caméra d'Or at Cannes and was nominated for an Academy Award. Other notable films include Mississippi Masala (1991), Monsoon Wedding (2001), which won the Golden Lion at Venice, The Namesake (2006), and the 2020 series, A Suitable Boy.
Following the success of Salaam Bombay!, Mira Nair established the Salaam Baalak Trust to provide support for street children in India. She also founded the Maisha Film Lab in Kampala, Uganda, to train East African filmmakers. Mira has been one of the biggest supporters of her son, Zohran Mamdani, in his political career, referring to herself as the "producer of the candidate" during his historic 2025 mayoral campaign. Zohran has also expressed similar sentiments and love for his parents, crediting them with instilling in him the values of justice that define his progressive political stance.
Mahmood Mamdani is a Ugandan Indian of Gujarati Muslim descent. He was born in 1946 in Mumbai. Mahmood's life was one of struggle, as in 1972, he was expelled from Uganda under the regime of Idi Amin and was twice rendered stateless before eventually becoming a U.S. citizen. In his professional life, Mahmood is a prominent academic, political theorist, and scholar specialised in African and international politics, colonialism, and post-colonialism. He serves as the Herbert Lehman Professor of Government and a professor of anthropology, political science, and African studies at Columbia University in New York.
Mahmood Mamdani is the author of several influential books, including Citizen and Subject (1996) and Good Muslim, Bad Muslim (2004). His latest work, Slow Poison (2025), focuses on the formation of the Ugandan state post-colonialism. He is also academically established, having earned his Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1974. Additionally, Mahmood served as the director of the Makerere Institute of Social Research in Uganda from 2010 to 2022 and currently serves as the chancellor of Kampala International University.
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