Did You Know Mira Nair’s Son Zohran Mamdani Convinced Her To Direct The Namesake Over Harry Potter 4?

Mira Nair was approached by Warner Bros to direct Harry Potter 4 when she was working on Namesake.

Zohran Mamdani just created history by becoming the first Muslim mayor of the world’s financial capital, New York. Mamdani comes from a remarkable family. He is the son of Ugandan academic and political commentator, Mahmood Mamdani and internationally renowned director Mira Nair. Talking at the Jaipur Literature Festival a few years back, Nair revealed that Zohran played a vital role in her decision to direct The Namesake. Read on to know more.

Mira Nair Reveals Zohran Mamdani Encouraged Her To Direct Namesake Instead Of Harry Potter 4

Mira Nair is a legendary director who is known for directing iconic films like Salaam Bombay, Monsoon Wedding, The Reluctant Fundamentalist and The Namesake. Upon its release, The Namesake, which is based on the book with the same name written by Jhumpa Lahiri, became an instant hit. The film is praised for its talented cast, nuanced portrayal of characters and tear-jerking screenplay.

But did you know there was once a possibility that Mira would not have taken the project if Zohran had not convinced her to do so? Talking at the Jaipur Literature Festival back in 2018, Mira Nair revealed that after the success of Harry Potter 3, the film’s production house, Warner Bros., reached out to Mira to direct the next film in the franchise. The Namesake director said that at the time, she was already deeply involved in making the film, but still considered going to a meeting as her son grew up watching the incredibly popular young-adult fantasy franchise.

Nair then stated that when she had a conversation about this with her son, Zohran simply told her, “Mama, many good directors can make Harry Potter, but only you can make The Namesake.” The director recalled this memory with pride and said her son’s words felt very liberating and clarifying at the time.

Also Read: Zohran Mamdani Becomes First Muslim And First South Asian Mayor Of New York City. We’re Proud!

Zohran Mamdani won the New York Mayoral election after beating Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa and ex-governor Andrew Cuomo. Mamdani is a democratic socialist whose main reform policies revolve around making New York affordable for its residents.

Also Read: Here Is How New York’s Potential Mayor Zohran Mamdani Is Connected To Bollywood!

First Published: November 05, 2025 6:42 PM