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Zohran Mamdani now has an Urdu anthem, with a link to legendary Pakistani singer | Video
“Mamdani mayor banaayenge, Zohran ko hi laayenge,” sings Saima Jahan in a video shared by multiple handles in a collab post on Instagram
The Indian-origin frontrunner in the mayoral race for New York City, Zohran Mamdani, has made waves with his multicultural campaign in one of the most liberal cities in the otherwise heavily-polarised United States of America. Now the Democratic Party candidate has got some more music for it. That comes with South Asian beats, Urdu lyrics, a bit of Punjabi, and a legendary Pakistani singer's heritage linked to it all.
“Mamdani mayor banaayenge, Zohran ko hi laayenge,” sings Saima Jahan, who is said to be a granddaughter of the late Noor Jahan, in a video shared by multiple handles in a collab post on Instagram. These include the fan accounts ‘Pakistanis for Zohran’, ‘Hindus for Zohran’, and ‘South Asians for Zohran’.
The caption references Pakistani culture, though the same thing could be true for the wider Indian subcontinent. It reads, “You’re not relevant in Pakistani political culture until you have your own song, and [Zohran Mamdani has entered the big leagues with this one.”
The video is from a recent debate watch party/birthday celebration for Zohran organized by women from the Pakistani and Bangladeshi community in Jackson Heights, it adds. “Singer is Saima Jahan, with lyrics by Dr Salma Kausar,” it says.
The video, which has English captions too, has close to 50,000 views since it was posted over the weekend.
Mamdani, 32, was born in Kampala, Uganda, and carries an international family heritage. His mother is the acclaimed Indian filmmaker Mira Nair, known for works like ‘Monsoon Wedding’ and ‘The Namesake’. His father is Mahmood Mamdani, a globally renowned Ugandan-Indian academic and political theorist.
Both parents, of Indian descent, are distinguished figures whose work focuses on global themes of identity, power, and justice.
Mamdani himself was raised across Uganda, South Africa, and New York City, which he credits for shaping his radical political perspective as a member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA).
Currently a New York State Assemblyman representing Astoria, Queens, he is now leading in prediction polls for the mayoral election scheduled for November 4.
Recent public polls show a solid lead over for him against his main opponents: independent candidate and former Governor Andrew Cuomo, and Republican Curtis Sliwa. A late October poll showed Mamdani leading with approximately 44% of the vote, with Cuomo, whom he defeated earlier for the Democratic Party ticket, at 34%, and Sliwa at 11%.
He has faced Islamophobia during the campaign but continues to underline his mixed heritage as a positive point.
