Zohran Mamdani’s mother described him as ‘not an American at all’ in resurfaced interview

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Democratic socialist candidate Zohran Mamdani is back in the headlines, but this time, not because of the polls. The spotlight has shifted to his filmmaker mother, Mira Nair, and a 2013 interview that has recently resurfaced. 

As the mayoral selection date approaches, old interviews and past remarks are being unearthed. One such interview with a foreign media outlet is now making the rounds on social media.

In the interview, Nair reflected on her then 21-year-old son’s upbringing, saying he was “not an American at all” and describing him as “a total desi" (very Indian in spirit and upbringing). 

Mira Nair says Zohran Mamdani is 'not American at all'

Filmmaker Mira Nair made the remarks about her son during an interview with an Indian news publication that asked about a young Zohran Mamdani. “We are not firangs at all. He is very much us. He is not an Uhmericcan (American) at all,” she said.

Nair added, “He was born in Uganda, raised between India and America. He is at home in many places. He thinks of himself as a Ugandan and as an Indian.”

She also described her son as “a very chaalu (witty) fellow,” noting that even back then, Mamdani showed an early interest in politics. “He is very involved with current affairs, politics, and political issues,” she said at the time. “I think he can be engaged in the world in some way to make a difference. He is very, very interested in that.”

For those unfamiliar with the Hindi or Urdu term firangs, it is commonly used to refer to foreigners.

Mira Nair’s old remarks spark backlash in Zohran Mamdani’s mayoral race

Zohran Mamdani, who is running for New York mayor against Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa, has found himself in the spotlight after his mother’s old interview resurfaced online. The 2013 remarks by filmmaker Mira Nair have raised eyebrows on social media.

To clarify the controversy and prevent future misunderstandings, Mehek Cooke, an attorney born in India who now serves as a GOP consultant, spoke to Fox News Digital. She said the word “firang” is not merely a harmless cultural term but can be considered a slur.

“It’s the word used back in India to mock outsiders, to say you don’t belong,” Cooke said. “Using it here about your own child raised in the United States carries the same tone as calling someone a derogatory word or worse. It’s flippant, divisive, and dripping with contempt for the very country that gave your family a better life.”

Clarifying her stance further, Cooke added, “When Mamdani’s mother says her son was ‘never a firang and only desi,’ it’s a rejection of America. It’s ungrateful, disrespectful, and frankly repulsive to live in this country since age seven, receive every freedom, education, and opportunity America offers, and still deny being American.”

A Suffolk University poll shows Mamdani leading the mayoral race with 44 percent support, followed by Cuomo at 34 percent and Republican Sliwa at 11 percent.