Connect with us
Friday,07-November-2025
Breaking News

National News

From Mira Nair’s Film Legacy To Father Mahmood’s Birthplace: How Zohran Mamdani’s Roots Trace Back To Mumbai City

Published

on

With Zohran Mamdani now elected as the Mayor of New York, one of the most compelling backstories behind his rise to power has a strong Mumbai connection. His father, Mahmood Mamdani, was born in Mumbai in 1946, while his mother, acclaimed filmmaker Mira Nair, shares deep creative and emotional ties with the city that inspired some of her most iconic works.

Nair’s groundbreaking 1988 film Salaam Bombay! not only put her on the global cinema map but also immortalised Mumbai’s street life and resilience on screen. The film’s success led her to establish the Salaam Baalak Trust, a non-profit organisation that continues to support the city’s street children even decades later.

Her 1984 documentary India Cabaret, too, was filmed in Mumbai, offering an unflinching look at the lives of women working in the city’s cabaret bars. For both Nair and Mamdani, Mumbai has remained a place of inspiration, intellectual engagement, and cultural belonging.

In interviews, Nair has often credited the city’s chaos, colour and contradictions for inspiring her cinematic voice. Whether capturing the streets of Byculla or the dance bars of Grant Road, her lens has consistently reflected Mumbai’s layered reality.

Mahmood Mamdani’s journey began in Mumbai before his family migrated to Kampala, Uganda, where he was raised. One of Africa’s foremost scholars of postcolonial thought, Mahmood’s work has bridged continents, addressing questions of identity, governance, and displacement.

Expelled from Uganda in 1972 by Idi Amin’s regime, he went on to earn a Ph.D. from Harvard University and later became a professor at Columbia University in New York. His acclaimed book Citizen and Subject (1996) remains a seminal work on postcolonial governance.

Despite his global academic footprint, Mamdani’s Mumbai origins are often noted in scholarly circles, a reminder of the city’s role in shaping thinkers who transcend borders.

Zohran Mamdani, born in 1991 in Kampala, grew up surrounded by these influences, a scholar father who questioned systems and a filmmaker mother who gave voice to the voiceless. The family moved to New York in 1999, where Mahmood joined Columbia University’s faculty. Zohran became a naturalised U.S. citizen in 2018 and has since risen as a progressive voice in American politics.

Married to Syrian artist Rama Sawaf Duwaji, Zohran represents a generation that embodies global citizenship while carrying forward his parents’ legacy of thought and empathy.

From Mahmood’s birth in Mumbai to Mira Nair’s cinematic tributes to the city, the Mamdani family’s story remains deeply entwined with Mumbai’s spirit, cosmopolitan, resilient, and unapologetically global. As Zohran makes his political mark in New York, Mumbai continues to echo in the values and vision that drive him.

National News

‘Amazing Infrastructure & Quality Of Life’: Of Mumbai AC Local Running With Open Doors Amid Flash Strike Sparks Outrage

Published

on

Mumbai: A disturbing video has gone viral showing a Central Railway AC local train running from Thane to Kalyan with its doors open and passengers hanging dangerously out of the compartments. The chaotic scene unfolded on Thursday amid severe overcrowding at several stations following a sudden flash strike by railway employees.

The strike was triggered after an FIR was registered against two railway engineers in connection with the June 9 Mumbra train accident. The abrupt work stoppage caused massive disruptions in suburban services, forcing thousands of commuters to rush onto limited trains once services resumed, leading to overcrowded platforms and risky travel conditions.

Activist Mukesh Makhija posted the viral video on social media, writing, “AC local running with doors open from #Thane towards Kalyan due to overcrowding,” and tagging the Central Railway and Rail Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. The clip shows passengers packed inside the train, with several forced to cling onto the edges as the train speeds along the tracks.

The incident drew sharp criticism online. A user from the account Roads of Mumbai reposted the video, sarcastically captioning it, “WOW! Amazing infrastructure and quality of life in this city!!!” highlighting public frustration over Mumbai’s chronic rail congestion and safety lapses.

Tragedy struck later the same evening when two people were killed and three others injured after being hit by a suburban train near Sandhurst Road railway station in south Mumbai. The incident occurred around 7 pm, just after train services resumed post-strike.

According to officials, the victims were walking along the railway tracks when they were struck by a speeding local near a pole close to the station. One of the deceased was identified as 19-year-old Helly Mohmaya, while the identity of the second victim remains unconfirmed. The injured were identified as Kaif Choghale (22), Khooshbu Mohmaya (45) and Yafiza Choghale (62).

A JJ Hospital official confirmed that two persons were brought dead, while three others were injured. Of these, two left against medical advice, and one remains under treatment. The Government Railway Police (GRP) later appealed to citizens to avoid walking on tracks, stating that such incidents are preventable. “Had the train not been delayed due to the strike, this tragedy might not have happened,” a GRP official said.

Continue Reading

Crime

Delhi Police solve robbery case within 48 hours, arrest four

Published

on

New Delhi, Nov 7: The Delhi Police on Friday cracked a robbery case within 48 hours, arresting four accused involved in the crime. With their arrest, police have recovered Rs 18,000 in cash and a Maruti Suzuki Swift Dzire car used in the offence.

According to a statement issued by the South-West District Police, the staff of Police Post Subroto Park, under the jurisdiction of Police Station Delhi Cantt, apprehended four accused persons identified as Amit alias Kaku (21 years), Pawan (22 years), Manish alias Churri (21 years), and Sonam (19 years).

On November 3, a PCR call was received at the Delhi Cantt police station regarding a robbery committed by occupants of an unidentified car. The complainant informed police that after arriving from the IGI Airport to Dhaula Kuan Bus Stand around 1.30 a.m., he boarded a private Maruti Suzuki Tour car already occupied by three men and a woman.

During the journey, the woman allegedly began abusing and threatening him, while the men forcibly took his belongings, including a mobile phone and debit cards. The accused later withdrew Rs 33,000 from his bank account using the stolen card. They also broke his mobile phone and threw it away before abandoning him at an isolated location.

Following the complaint, a case was registered under FIR No. 283/2025, U/S 309 BNS at Police Station Delhi Cantt, and an investigation was initiated.

Considering the seriousness of the crime, a dedicated police team was formed under the close supervision of Anil Kumar, ACP/Delhi Cantt, and Inspector Shyoram, SHO/Delhi Cantt. The investigation team comprised Sub Inspector Jasbir Malik (IC/PP Subroto Park), PSI Manish Kumar, Head Constable Pawan, HC Rakesh Kumar, HC Bhaskar, and Ct. Ravinder.

The team meticulously analysed CCTV footage from NH-48, Vasant Kunj Road, MR Road, and Mahipalpur Road, which led them to identify a suspicious Maruti Suzuki Swift Dzire. Enquiry revealed that the car belonged to one Lokesh Gupta, who had rented it out to Amit alias Kaku.

A swift raid was conducted, resulting in the arrest of Amit alias Kaku and Manish alias Churri. Based on their disclosure, co-accused Pawan and Sonam were also apprehended from their residences.

Amit alias Kaku (21 years), a resident of Vijay Enclave, Palam Dabri, New Delhi, is a 4th-class pass and works as a private cab driver. An orphan with two siblings, he has a history of criminal activity. He has been previously involved in nine criminal cases registered at various police stations, including Vasant Kunj (South and North), Delhi Cantt, Kapashera, and Dwarka South, related to robbery, theft, and violations of the Arms Act. He was also arrested earlier by Gurugram Police in a similar case.

Pawan (22 years), also from Vijay Enclave, Palam Dabri, New Delhi, is a 12th pass and works as a cab driver.

Manish alias Churri (21 years) resides in Mahavir Enclave, New Delhi. He has studied up to Class 10 and is currently unemployed. Police said he is a close associate of the main accused, Amit alias Kaku.

Sonam (19 years), a resident of Vijay Enclave, Dwarka, New Delhi, studied up to Class 4. She comes from a broken family, as her father remarried and lives separately. Sonam has a record of involvement in four robbery cases along with the accused Amit when she was a juvenile. She had previously been sent to an Observation Home for 40 days.

During interrogation, the accused confessed to their involvement in the crime.

Further investigation is underway to ascertain the involvement of the accused persons in other similar offences.

Continue Reading

Crime

Crackdown At Mumbai Airport: Customs Nab 4 Bangkok Flyers With 18 Kg Hydroponic Weed, 1 Dubai Flyer With Gold Bangles

Published

on

Mumbai: On the basis of profiling, the Customs officers at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA), Mumbai Customs Zone III, intercepted 01 passenger arriving from Bangkok to Mumbai by flight no.SL218. During the examination of the baggage, the Customs officers recovered 5.922 kg of suspected Hydroponic Weed (Marijuana), with an illicit market value of approximately ₹ 5.922 crores.

The narcotic substances were concealed inside the checked-in trolley bag carried by the passengers.

1 passenger was arrested under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.

On the basis of profiling, the Customs officers at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA), Mumbai Customs Zone III, intercepted 02 passengers arriving from Bangkok by flight no. AI2338. During the examination of the baggage, the Customs officers recovered 12.017 kg of suspected Hydroponic Weed (Marijuana), with an illicit market value of approximately ₹12.017 crores.

The narcotic substances were concealed inside the chocolate and chips packets carried by the passengers.

2 passengers were arrested under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.

On the basis of profiling, the Customs officers at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA), Mumbai Customs Zone III, intercepted 01 passenger arriving from Dubai to Mumbai by flight no. AI2202. During the personal search of the passenger, the Customs officers recovered 24 KT crude gold Bangles (08 pcs) having weight of 225 grams valued at Rs. 25.64 Lakh. The said gold was found concealed on body of the passenger.

Continue Reading
Advertisement
Advertisement

Trending