Discover how Mira Nair's son, Zohran Mamdani, not only influenced the casting of Kal Penn in The Namesake but is now on the brink of becoming New York City's first Indian-origin mayor.

Zohran Mamdani, the Indian-origin nominee for New York City Mayor, has played a key role in his mother, director Mira Nair’s career, having even persuaded her to turn down a Harry Potter film.

Zohran Mamdani played an important role behind the making of The Namesake, starring late Irrfan Khan, Tabu and Kal Penn.

Indian-American politician Zohran Mamdani, the son of filmmaker Mira Nair, played a pivotal role in his mother's film.

Did you know Zohran Mamdani, son of Mira Nair, convinced her to direct ‘The Namesake’ instead of ‘Harry Potter’? The 33-year-old Democrat nominee for New York Mayoral election also convinced his ...

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In interviews both adjacent to the primary and years earlier, Nair has spoken about her son’s influence on her work. She apparently cast Kal Penn in The Namesake because lil’ Zohan made her ...

A 17-point victory in Washington Heights, where one of Andrew Cuomo’s chief backers, Representative ​​Adriano Espaillat, ...

Zohran Mamdani's surprising victory in the NYC mayoral primary election signals a shift in city politics. His campaign, ...

Other films Nair has directed include 2004’s “Vanity Fair,” 2006’s “The Namesake,” and 2016’s “Queen of Katwe,” the latter two of which Mamdani had a hand in.

Here’s a closer look at the education and career that shaped Mira Nair into the storyteller who helped shape her son’s political conscience.