Zohran Mamdani is the man who got the whole South Asian community rooting for him despite internal differences. Many even stated that it was the first time that they ever took an interest in the Mayoral campaign, so that truth can finally prevail over billionaire-funded sexual harassers who never saw them as their own.
Zohran didn’t just sweep the millennial and elderly voters, but also won over Gen-Z through his Bollywood-ish quirky but relatable campaign.
Through his hilarious videos, including an Eid greeting card and a video where he’s talking entirely in Urdu as Bollywood music plays in the background, Mamdani has leveraged his South Asian roots to win the hearts of young Desis. And the best part? He is not a whitewashed puppet who is afraid to represent his culture.
The Gen-Z Campaign that Led Kids to Force their Parents
From the jump, Mamdani’s campaign graphics looked like Twitter meme culture but with a desi twist. What’s even better is that he didn’t deviate from his policies and his motive. It was never just about the memes; it was about deeper issues.
This helped his younger supporters spread the word to their parents and grandparents because the content was substantive and approachable rather than niche or snarky.
On the other hand, his primary rival, Andrew M. Cuomo’s campaign was flooded with ads, that also in the evil billionaires ‘ style. This didn’t hide his controversial past, including the sexual harassment allegations made against him.
In August 2021, New York Attorney General Letitia James accused Cuomo, whose father was also governor, of sexually harassing 11 women. He resigned, and then his brother Chris, a star anchor on CNN, had to leave for advising him.
Now that Zohran has won the democratic primary, here are some campaigns that allowed him to make history.
Zohran’s Desi WhatsApp Chat Aesthetic Eid Greeting
On Eid al-Adha, Mamdani shared an Eid Mubarak post on his main Instagram account that was also a reminder for people to vote. But it wasn’t the typical campaign video that you may be thinking about. It was like a peak desi dad WhatsApp “good morning” message and resonated with his young audiences and desi aunties alike.
The post featured bright flowers, a heart-shaped wreath made out of roses, and a cutout of Mamdani’s face flashing in and out of the screen in ironically cringey transitions.
The video garnered over one million views and 100,000 likes on Instagram, as well as comments from Pakistani actor Mehwish Hayat and singer Ali Sethi.
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The Name is Mamdani- “M-A-M-D-A-N-I”
During the democratic primary debate, as the candidates discussed job experience, Cuomo repeatedly mispronounced Mamdani’s name and stated, “Experience matters, and I think inexperience is dangerous in this case.” Claiming that Mamdani had a staff of just five people but would need to manage a staff of 300,000.
He then listed various experiences that Mamdani lacked, such as dealing with unions and handling natural disasters. All this while Cuomo couldn’t do a simple research on how to pronounce his electoral rival’s name.
In response, Mamdani called attention to Cuomo’s controversial past, asserting that he was the better candidate for the job, despite Cuomo’s experience.
“To Mr. Cuomo: I have never had to resign in disgrace. I have never cut Medicaid. I have never stolen hundreds of millions of dollars from the MTA. I have never harassed the 13 women who credibly accused me of sexual harassment. I have never sued for their gynaecological records, and I have never done those things because I am not you, Mr. Cuomo.”
As if that wasn’t a significant moment, Mamdani further emphasised his point by teaching Cuomo how to pronounce his name correctly. “Furthermore, the name is Mamdani—M-A-M-D-A-N-I. You should learn how to say it.”
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The Urdu Campaign With Bollywood References
As part of his social media campaign, Mamdani made an entire video explaining how people should vote, that too, IN URDU!
The video featured the iconic ‘Om Shaanti Om’ playing softly in the background, as Mamdani asks, “Tum ne kabhi kisi ko vote diya?” [Have you ever voted for anyone?] à la Rishi Kapoor in Karz.
Mamdani then uses mango lassi — because what could possibly be more South Asian than mangoes AND lassi — to explain how the rank-based election system works and urged his followers to rank every candidate.
He also told people what Cuomo is offering using the legendary Amitabh Bachan clip from Deewar; “Today I have a building, property, bank balance, bungalow, car. What do you have?” Instead of Shashi Kapoor, Mamdani himself pops up on screen and informs his supporters that he has them.
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Zohran’s Campaign is More than Just Aesthetic
It’s easy to write this off as just good branding, but Mamdani’s campaign is grounded in democratic socialism and people-powered politics.
Zohran Mamdani is backed by the Working Families Party, has been endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America, and has made it clear: He doesn’t serve landlords, lobbyists, or the status quo. And guess what? Gen Z loves that.