Mira Nair Is Every ‘Immigrant Mom’ Ever At Son Zohran Mamdani’s NYC Mayor Oath—‘Sending It To Family WhatsApp Group’

Zohran Mamdani took the oath as the mayor of New York City on January 1, 2026. The son of director Mira Nair and academic and author Mahmood Mamdani, Zohran achieved quite a few firsts with his inauguration. The 34-year-old is the first Muslim mayor, as well as the first of South Asian descent to hold the position. Zohran is also the first person born in Africa to be elected as the NYC Mayor.

While the ceremony was notable for both the new mayor’s pledges and the high-profile guests in attendance, including Senator Bernie Sanders, it was his mother, Mira Nair, who stole the spotlight. The Monsoon Wedding director was spotted filming the oath ceremony on her phone.

A video of Mira Nair recording the ceremony has been going viral on Instagram. The

clip was posted by content creator Haf with the caption, “And that’s on every mama!”

Mira Nair Records Zohran Mamdani

The short clip shows the director as she records the ceremony. Zohran’s wife, Rama Duwaji, is standing close to her. A text over the video read, “Immigrant moms are gonna be immigrant moms, doesn’t matter if you are the mayor!”

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The video sparked hilarious reactions, with many praising the director. “Horizontal framing and all. You go Mira Aunty,” a user wrote.

Others joked that the clip would go on the Mamdani’s family WhatsApp group. “She blew up WhatsApp today all the aunties are seeing her baby as mayor!” another remarked.

“Filmmaker gonna film,” a user quipped.

One account joked, “Don’t wanna be his cousin at this moment.”

“If there is a movie about Mamdani, will his mom direct it?” another asked.

“I love how his mum is taking a picture like: “I need to get this on my phone or else nobody is gonna know or believe me,” a comment read.

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When asked at the ceremony if she would advise her son, Mira Nair told reporters, “Of course, I’m going to be the mother of New York City,” as per the New York Post.

Zohran Mamdani Takes Oath As NYC Mayor

The ceremony took place at City Hall in Lower Manhattan. Mamdani said the 2025 NYC mayoral election was a sign of a deeper shift among New Yorkers. He recalled a conversation with a Pakistani woman named Samina and said that the campaign had nurtured something rare in the political arena. Quoting her words in Urdu, he told the crowd, “Logon ke dil badal gaye hai (people’s hearts have changed).” The 34-year-old vowed to “reinvent” New York City, promising “a new era” for the global metropolis.

Mamdani came to power on the promise of free buses, free childcare, a pilot of city-run grocery stores and a rent freeze for about a million households, as per The Guardian. The start of his tenure marks a new political chapter for the city, one that is centred on progressive reform and affordability.