"When Zohran Mamdani was elected as New York City's first Muslim mayor and the youngest since 1892, headlines naturally focused on his groundbreaking political rise. But for many, the spotlight also turned to a name that had already long resonated on the global stage his mother Mira Nair. A pioneering film-maker with a career spanning more than three decades, Nair has continually reshaped how south Asian identity is portrayed on screen."
"Her debut feature, Salaam Bombay! (1988), described by the Guardian as fiercely unsentimental and throbbing with energy, was a visceral portrait of life on the streets for India's abandoned children, earning her instant recognition as a film-maker. It marked the start of a body of work that explores identity, migration and belonging with an unusual subtlety issues that also lie at the heart of her son Mamdani's political vision."
"The film earned an Oscar nomination for best foreign language film making it only the second Indian film to ever be up for an Academy Award and won the Camera d'Or (for debut directors) at Cannes, and became only the second Indian film ever nominated for an Oscar. Nair used the film's proceeds to establish the Salaam Baalak Trust, a nonprofit that still provides support for street children in Delhi and Mumbai."
Zohran Mamdani’s election as New York City's first Muslim mayor and the youngest since 1892 brought renewed attention to his mother, Mira Nair. Born in India and educated in Delhi and at Harvard, Nair blends cultural worlds in her storytelling. Her debut feature, Salaam Bombay! (1988), offered a visceral portrait of abandoned street children, won the Camera d'Or and earned an Oscar nomination. Proceeds from the film funded the Salaam Baalak Trust to support street children. Her 1991 film Mississippi Masala examined racial complexities and immigrant identity through an interracial love story. Her films consistently probe identity, migration and belonging.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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