India, Nov. 5 -- The stunning election of Zohran Mamdani, 34, as the next mayor of New York City, defeating former governor Andrew Cuomo, is being seen as a progressive blip in the deeply polarised American politics in Donald Trump's era. But Mamdani, being of mixed heritage, is many things at once - one of those being his Indian lineage.

Yet, his relationship with his desi heritage isn't as straightforward as just playing "Dhoom Macha Le" at his victory rally. He also quoted from India's first PM Jawaharlal Nehru's seminal speech of 1947, but his views on the current PM, Narendra Modi, are far from complimentary.

His mother, filmmaker Mira Nair known for works like 'Monsoon Wedding', 'Mississippi Masala' and 'The Namesake', shares thes...