Shabana Azmi, Zoya Akhtar congratulate Mira Nair as son Zohran Mamdani becomes NYC Mayor

Veteran actor Shabana Azmi, filmmakers Zoya Akhtar and Hansal Mehta on Wednesday congratulated director Mira Nair after her son Zohran Mamdani was elected as the mayor of New York City.

The 34-year-old Indian-descent democrat, son of Nair and Columbia University professor Mahmood Mamdani, defeated independent candidate Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa in the closely-watched battle for New York City Mayor.

Mamdani will be the first Muslim, the first Indian-origin, the first born in Africa, and the youngest one in more than a century when he becomes New York Mayor on January 1.

Azmi, who featured in Nair's acclaimed 2011 movie "The Reluctant Fundamentalist", shared a long post on Facebook, saying that Mamdani's win represents a hope for social justice.

"Zohraan Mamdani wins !!!! I am over the moon! Not only because Zohraan is Mira and Mahmoud's son, but because of who Zohraan is and the hope he represents for social justice. I have been watching his campaign closely .. inspite of all the negative publicity that was manufactured against him with Trump even pathetically saying that 'I am better looking than him!... Zohraan is young and promising...More power to you,' she said.

Akhtar took to Instagram to share her excitement over Mamdani's election, writing, “Zohran… you beauty. @pagliji, this is for you.”

Hansal posted, "Hope in dark times... from far away NYC. Congratulations @zohrankmamdani and proud mom @pagliji."

Sonam Kapoor, Ali Fazal and Tillotama Shome also shared posts about Mamdani's election.

Actor Namit Das, who featured in Nair's Netflix miniseries "The Suitable Boy", shared an old photo with Mamdani while congratulating the Democrat on his win.

"The little that I know about American politics… and given how shy I am about posting about famous friends… this truly feels like a personal victory. I'm so, so happy for Zohran — who's now gone on to lead the same city he once envisioned with hope and purpose — and equally for Mira and Mahmoud.

"Looking back at all the times we've spent together, and the conversations we've shared, this moment just feels right. Congratulations, Zohran! Our interactions may have been few, but your warm hugs and kind words have always stayed with me. You are a special man, and the world needs your filter — the one that sees the simplest truths so clearly," he posted.

Many prominent Hollywood stars like Oscar winner Lupita Nyong'o, Pedro Pascal and Mark Ruffalo also celebrated Mamdani's election.

Nyong'o shared Mamdani's winning post on her Instagram Story and captioned it simply, "Yup!!!!!!." The Oscar winner, who starred in Nair's last feature film, 2016's "Queen of Katwe", had been supporting Mamdani throughout his campaign.

The same video was shared by Ruffalo, while Pascal reposted a photo of Mamdani.

Nair, the director behind critically-acclaimed titles "Salaam Bombay!", "Mississippi Masala", "Monsoon Wedding", "The Namesake" and miniseries "A Suitable Boy", actively participated in Mamdani's campaign.

In a video message for Moms for Mamdani, a NYC group formed to support the democrat, on October 10, the filmmaker asked all the mothers of the city to "send Zohran forward with all the strength of our collective mama energy".

"I wish I could be there with you tonight celebrating this incredible community of mothers who care not just for their own families but for the world around them.

"Zohran is imbued with exactly that spirit. Principle, fearless, with a vision for dignity for all. I have seen him grow, lead and listen, and not that I am biased -- his is the kind of leadership we need in the world. Rooted in empathy and justice and not power or privilege," she said.

Mamdani was born and raised in Kampala, Uganda and moved to New York City with his family when he was 7. Mamdani became a naturalised US citizen only recently, in 2018.

In his victory speech, Mandani said, "I am young and I am a Muslim. I refuse to apologise for being a Muslim." "A moment comes, but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance. Tonight, we have stepped out from the old into the new,” he said, quoting India's first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru.