New York City’s newly elected mayor Zohran Mamdani is many things to many people, but in entertainment circles he is seen as a genuine child of showbiz.

His mother, Mira Nair, is an Oscar-nominated writer and director whose credits include Monsoon Wedding and Salaam Bombay . He also pursued a rap career, as a scroll through TikTok in recent weeks will recall, under the name Young Cardamom and, in time, Mr. Cardamom. His multiple credits on Nair’s Disney film Queen of Katwe , about a chess prodigy in Uganda (Mamdani’s native country), included a small acting part, contributing to the soundtrack and serving as a music supervisor. (“Nepotism and hard work goes a long way,” he joked during the film’s 2016 press junket.)

As the 34-year-old Mamdani prepares to be sworn in at midnigh

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