New York's newly elected mayor Zohran Mamdani's choice to end his victory speech with Bollywood's iconic anthem "Dhoom Machale" may have set social media ablaze but for those who've followed him closely, his affection for the song is hardly new.
A look back at Mamdani's 2021 post on X (then Twitter) offers a telling hint. As Denis Villeneuve's Dune premiered that year, Mamdani had tweeted simply: "dune machale dune machale dune" -- a nod to both the sci-fi epic and the chart-topping Bollywood hit from 2004.
The 34-year-old Democrat, son of acclaimed filmmaker Mira Nair and renowned Columbia University scholar Mahmood Mamdani, has consistently used the language and imagery of popular culture to connect with New Yorkers from diverse backgrounds. His victory speech this week was capped off with Dhoom Machale blaring through loudspeakers as supporters cheered.
As he declared, "New York, this power-it's yours. This city belongs to you. Thank you," the familiar beats of Pritam Chakraborty's composition filled the hall. Mamdani, standing alongside his wife Rama Duwaji smiled as the song's chorus echoed through the crowd.
Born in Kampala in Uganda, and raised in New York from the age of seven, Mamdani represents a new generation of American leaders - multilingual, multicultural, and unafraid to celebrate all strands of identity. His campaign, marked by grassroots outreach and a clear progressive vision, also leaned into his familiarity with Hindi cinema.
Several of his campaign videos featured clever nods to Bollywood classics, weaving in dialogues from Deewaar, Karz, and Om Shanti Om to engage younger South Asian voters across boroughs like Queens and Brooklyn.
