Zohran Mamdani has secured the nomination as the Democratic candidate for the New York City mayoral race, and he is the son of the director of one of Denzel Washington‘s best movies. One of the most versatile actors in Hollywood history, Washington has starred in gripping dramas and exciting action flicks across the six decades he’s been in the business.
Part of the actor’s charm is his realistic performances, and Washington inhabits roles in a way not typically seen in other blockbuster careers. Even into the 2020s, Washington’s diverse performances are the stuff of legend, and he can still lead movies like The Equalizer 3 while also appearing in more mature works like The Tragedy of Macbeth.
Show business and politics aren’t entirely divorced in the modern age, and Mamdani’s meteoric rise through the ranks in NYC comes with a connection to the arts. Mamdani dethroned Democratic stalwart Andrew Cuomo in the June 2025 primaries (via CNN), and could very well become NYC’s first mayor to be the son of a famous filmmaker.
Zohran Mamdani’s Mother Directed A 92% RT Cult Classic Starring Denzel Washington
Mamdani’s Mom Delivered One Of The Most Underrated Movies Of The ’90s
In the same year that Zohran Mamdani was born, his mother directed Mississippi Masala, one of the best romance films of the 1990s. Mira Nair had already directed the popular film Salaam Bombay! a few years earlier, but it was her collaboration with Denzel Washington and Sarita Choudhury that would become her lasting filmmaking legacy.
The film was not a major success upon release, and only managed to gross about $7 million against a reported budget of $5 million (via Box Office Mojo). That means Mississippi Masala likely lost quite a bit of money when factoring in other costs. Nevertheless, it was a critical darling and earned Nair worldwide acclaim.
By 1991, Denzel Washington was already on his way to becoming a leading-man, and Mississippi Masala was just the first taste of what was to come. The next few years would be some of the most creatively fruitful for Washington, and he would earn his first Best Actor nomination at the Oscars for Malcolm X a year later in 1992.
As for Mamdani’s mother, Nair would continue to make movies throughout the 1990s before reaching new heights in the 2000s. Moving away from her usual style with 2004’s Vanity Fair, the Indian-American filmmaker directed her biggest movie to date. While it wasn’t particularly well-received both critically and commercially, it was something of a career high for Nair.
Vanity Fair (2004) currently holds a 51% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Years before his push into politics, Mamdani had the opportunity to discover his mom’s filmography. Particularly honing in on her 1991 gem, Mamdani posted on X (formerly Twitter) that he was proud of the work his mom put into the film.
\n”‘};
window.arrayOfEmbedScripts[“twitter”] = “”””;
Mississippi Masala Deserves To Be Spoken About More In 2025 (& Maybe Now It Will Be)
The ’90s Romance Film Is Poignant & Might Finally Get The Attention It Deserves
Many of Nair’s films specifically deal with her Indian heritage, but Mississippi Masala also incorporates other themes. The story of the family’s expulsion from Africa under the dictatorship of Idi Amin is contrasted with their new life in the deepest part of the American Deep South. Immigrant stories are always poignant, but they are more so now in the 2020s.
Though the culture clash between Choudhury’s Mina and Washington’s Demetrius is an important part of the story, the romance instead focuses on what they share in common. They both face discrimination from each other’s communities, and it serves to bring them together instead of driving them apart. The film’s sad-but-hopeful ending is also a deft touch.
The candidate has mostly kept focused on politics, but increased interest in him will likely also draw eyes toward Nair’s filmography.
Mississippi Masala was already starting to get more attention in the modern day thanks to its inclusion in the Criterion Collection in 2022, but Zohran Mamdani’s nomination will likely give it another bump. The candidate has mostly kept focused on politics, but increased interest in him will likely also draw eyes toward Nair’s filmography.
Immigrants are a major focus in politics, and Mamdani’s success is emblematic of the ideas explored in his mother’s movies. The man who is very likely going to be the next mayor of New York City shares a lot in common with the classic Denzel Washington movie, and his rise is something that even his talented mother couldn’t script.
