Joharan Mamdani, a Democratic Party candidate of Indian origin, has made history by becoming the Mayor of New York City, attracting nationwide attention. He is the youngest and first Indian-American mayor in a century. What makes his story even more intriguing is his parentage — he is the son of celebrated filmmaker Mira Nair and her second husband Mahmood Mamdani.
Few know that Mahmood Mamdani, Joharan’s father, had once been jailed and physically assaulted during his activism. When Mira Nair married him, Joharan was still in her womb.
Mira Nair’s First Marriage and Divorce
Mira Nair’s first husband was Mitchell Epstein, her photography teacher at Harvard University, where she went in 1976. Despite not being very interested in photography initially, Mira felt an instant connection with Mitchell. Their love blossomed, and they married according to Punjabi traditions.
However, after 10 years of marriage, the couple separated, and in 1987, they divorced. While Mitchell remarried later, Mira remained wary of marriage, focusing on her filmmaking career and hesitant to step into matrimony again.
Meeting Mahmood Mamdani
Mira Nair met Mahmood Mamdani in 1989 during research for her film Mississippi Masala in Kampala, Uganda. Mahmood, an African writer of Indian origin, recalled in a 2025 interview with Telegraph India that he had once been jailed during the 1963 Civil Rights Movement in Alabama, where he was beaten while participating in a protest supporting civil rights. He was later released after the Ugandan Ambassador intervened.
Mira Nair first read Mahmood Mamdani’s book while he was in a London transit camp, and she interviewed him. Their conversations led to mutual admiration and love.
Convincing Mira Nair to Marry
When the topic of marriage arose, Mira hesitated, haunted by her previous experience. Mahmood Mamdani revealed that Mira was pregnant at the time, carrying Joharan Mamdani. She worried about whether she could share a life with someone whose work required frequent travel and long absences.
The Private Wedding
In 1991, Mira Nair and Mahmood Mamdani married at Mira’s cousin’s home in Toronto, attended by just eight people. Mahmood’s father recited a poem, and Mira’s six-year-old niece declared the couple officially married. Later, the marriage was formally registered in New York City.
Mira Nair’s Acclaimed Filmmaking Career
Mira Nair is internationally renowned for films such as Salaam Bombay!, Monsoon Wedding, and The Namesake, which have received critical acclaim for their storytelling and social commentary.
Now, with Joharan Mamdani stepping into political history as New York’s mayor, the legacy of this remarkable family continues, blending art, activism, and public service across generations.
— SD International Desk
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