Mira was born in Rourkela, and her father, Amrit Lal Nair, worked as an IAS officer and played a role in establishing Rourkela Steel Plant in the 1950s
OdishaPlus Bureau
With Zohran Mamdani entering the spotlight in the New York City mayoral race, a subtle excitement is growing almost halfway around the globe — in Odisha. The son of renowned filmmaker Mira Nair, the progressive candidate’s campaign has sparked a wave of nostalgia in the state, where his family’s heritage is strong.
Mira was born in Rourkela, and her father, Amrit Lal Nair, worked as an IAS officer and played a role in establishing the Rourkela Steel Plant in the 1950s. With the election on June 24 approaching, many people in the state have taken to social media to remember Zohran’s maternal connections and celebrate the region’s surprising link to a global political arena.
Born on October 15, 1957, in Rourkela, Mira grew up and studied in the steel city and later in Bhubaneswar before moving out of the state for further education. “I was a proud and happy student at Ispat English Medium School, Rourkela, from ages 7 to 10, between 1964 and 1967.
The article even proposed that if Zohran wins, he might help launch a Bali Jatra festival — celebrated every year in Cuttack to honor Odisha’s maritime heritage — in New York City. Although Zohran’s political path has taken him thousands of miles away from Uganda, his birthplace, to Queens, New York, where he grew up, his campaign has openly embraced his South Asian heritage.
