Bollywood, Mango Lassi & Ballots: Zohran Mamdani's Campaign Has Lessons For Young Desi Aussie Leaders
- Jay Zee
- Jun 26
- 3 min read
What happens when you blend the cinematic vision of Mira Nair, the sharp political wit of her son Mahmood Mamdani, and the hustle of New York’s immigrant streets? You get Zohran Mamdani’s mayoral campaign—a full-throttle, Bollywood-infused spectacle that’s rewriting the script of South Asian representation in American politics.
New York State representative Mamdani stunned the American political establishment on Tuesday when he won New York City's Democratic Mayoral Primary, defeating former governor Andrew Cuomo.
A Bollywood Campaign
Mamdani’s campaign is a love letter to Bollywood and the South Asian experience. In one viral Instagram video, he strikes the iconic “SRK pose,” arms wide in a Shah Rukh Khan embrace, while speaking in Hindustani and soundtracked by classic Bollywood hits.
He uses mango lassi to explain ranked-choice voting, quotes the Bollywood classic Deewar to contrast his own grassroots platform with Andrew Cuomo’s establishment candidacy, and peppers his speeches with references to 1970s Hindi cinema.
At rallies, Bollywood music blares, and Mamdani’s team doesn’t shy away from spontaneous dance, turning campaign stops into block parties that feel more like Holi than a political event. His memes, reels, and WhatsApp-ready videos are not just outreach—they’re cultural events, trending across desi circles from Queens to Sydney.
Mamdani’s approach wasn’t just about winning votes; it’s about making South Asian New Yorkers feel seen. His campaign is multilingual, his policies are explained with Bollywood flair, and his authenticity—equal parts goofy and grounded—has made him a folk hero among young desis.
The Namesake
Mamdani's campaign at some level also reflects his more famous mom's movies. Mira Nair isn’t just Zohran’s mother; she’s the auteur who taught a generation to see South Asia in technicolour. The director of Monsoon Wedding, The Namesake, and Salaam Bombay! brought the messy, vibrant realities of diaspora life to global screens.
That sensibility—equal parts celebration and critique—runs through Mamdani’s campaign.
His videos, often shot on an iPhone but edited with the pacing and wit of a Nair film, have become the stuff of legend. Even Mira herself jokes about people asking if she’s secretly directing his viral content, while prodding him for “cuts” and giving notes on his campaign reels.
Mira Nair’s influence is everywhere: in the storytelling, the unapologetic embrace of heritage, and the insistence that politics, like cinema, should be for everyone.
The Final Scene
Whether or not Mamdani wins the New York mayoral race, the city’s political stage is forever changed. This is the first time New York’s mayoral race has felt like a Mira Nair film—messy, musical, and unmistakably South Asian.
Mamdani's rise in politics resonates with immigrant South Asian experiences across the world.
It also inspires, especially in countries like Australia, which does not have enough representation of South Asians in its political leadership. Young aspiring South Asian politicians could take a leaf out of Mamdani's campaign.
Mamdani’s Bollywood-infused campaign is more than a political strategy—it’s a blueprint for how cultural pride and authenticity can energise democracy and inspire new generations.
For Australia’s own South Asian community, his victory is a reminder that representation is not just about numbers, but about visibility, voice, and joy.
As young leaders here look to the future, Mamdani’s journey shows that embracing one’s heritage isn’t a barrier to power, but a pathway. Mamdani's campaign proves that the most powerful politics are those that dare to dance to their own beat.
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