Zohran Mamdani

Birth Name: Zohran Kwame Mamdani

Place of Birth: Kampala, Uganda

Date of Birth: October 18, 1991

Ethnicity:
*father – Gujarati Indian
*mother – Punjabi Indian

Zohran Mamdani is an American politician. A member of the Democratic Party, Working Families, and the Democratic Socialists of America, he has been Mayor of New York City, since January 1, 2026. He was previously Member of the New York State Assembly, from January 1, 2021 to December 31, 2025. He is New York City’s first Muslim mayor.

Zohran was born in Kampala Uganda, to Indian-born parents, Mira Nair, a filmmaker, and Mahmood Mamdani, an academic, author, political commentator, and professor of colonial and postcolonial studies at Columbia University. His father was born in Mumbai, Maharashtra, to a Gujarati Muslim family. Zohran’s paternal grandparents were born in Tanganyika, now Tanzania. His father was mostly raised in Dar es Salaam. Zohran’s mother was born in Rourkela, Odisha, to a Punjabi Hindu family. His mother’s films as director include Salaam Bombay!, Mississippi Masala, The Perez Family, Monsoon Wedding, Vanity Fair (2004), The Namesake, and Queen of Katwe.

Zohran is a dual citizen of Uganda and the U.S. He became an American citizen in 2018. He speaks some degree of Hindi–Urdu, Bengali, and Spanish. He is a member of Shia Islam’s Twelver sect.

Zohran is married to animator, illustrator, and ceramist Rama Duwaji (Rama Sawaf Duwaji). Rama was born in Houston, Texas, to Syrian parents.

Zohran’s maternal grandfather was named Amrit Lal Nair. Amrit was an officer of the Indian Administrative Service. The family name was Nayyar.

Zohran’s maternal grandmother was named Praveen Nair. Praveen was a social worker.

Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com