Highlights:
NEW YORK City mayor Zohran Mamdani has drawn attention on social media after releasing videos of himself speaking in Bangla, Mandarin and Spanish, as well as English, to promote a program offering free Broadway tickets to city high school students.
In videos posted on X, Mamdani speaks in the three languages to highlight an initiative under which the city has partnered with TDF (Theatre Development Fund) to give away more than 2,000 free tickets to Broadway shows. NYC high-school students can enter a free lottery for the tickets.
Mamdani’s use of multiple languages prompted comments from social media users, with several praising his pronunciation and enunciation. His Bangla video, in particular, drew praise from users who said he spoke the language well. “And now he’s speaking in Bangla as well; what can’t this man do,” one user said on X.
“Native Bengali speaker here, dude speaking better Bangla than current Gen Z in Bangladesh,” another wrote. “Bengal has a rich legacy of art, theatre, literature, and culture. From the Bengal School of Art to jatra and Kolkata’s vibrant theatre scene, creativity runs deep over there! I am afraid this man’s political talent is unmatched!” another user said.
The Mandarin video also drew comments on X.
“The NYC mayor speaks better Mandarin than I do, bye,” one user said.
“This doesn’t sound AI since it is very staccato, which is basically what a lot of non-native Chinese speakers sound like. I do appreciate how he tries to pronounce every character well,” another commented.
“How many languages does bro speak lol,” another comment read.
Mamdani is the son of filmmaker Mira Nair and Columbia University professor Mahmood Mamdani. He is the 112th mayor of New York City and the first South Asian and Muslim to be elected to the city’s top political office.
Born and raised in Kampala, Uganda, Mamdani moved to New York City with his family when he was 7.
Over the weekend, Mamdani attended the India Day Parade in the Queens neighborhood of New York.
“Today, I was back in Floral Park for the Queens India Day Parade — this time as the first Indian American mayor of New York City. It was an experience I will never forget,” he said. It was arguably the first time Mamdani had identified himself as “Indian American”.
Referring to former NYC mayor David Dinkins, who once described the city as a gorgeous mosaic, Mamdani said: “Today, I saw that mosaic in the Hindus and Christians, Muslims and Jains, Buddhists and Sikhs across the Indian diaspora who have helped make our city what it is. To all of them, I say: it is an honour to do that work alongside you. Happy Indian Independence Day!”
