Zohran Mamdani

Zohran Mamdani

Author: BBC Radio 4 January 3, 2026 Duration: 14:40

The new Mayor of New York and at just 34, the youngest since 1892, is sworn in. He is the first Muslim and Indian American to lead the nation's largest city. Zohran Mamdani was born in Uganda, Africa, to parents of Indian descent and it was a childhood filled with bird song and nature. He was seven years old when his family moved to New York, to Manhattan's Upper West Side and that's where Mamdani began to make his mark. He started making music as rapper, Mr Cardamom but after releasing only a few songs, it seemed politics was a better fit.

Zohran Mamdani ran an impressive campaign, recruiting an army of volunteers 100,000 strong to pound the pavements and knock on doors. His social media videos in multiple languages credited with vastly increasing voter turnout from a range of South Asian communities. A left-wing democratic socialist, his message was laser focused on affordability; he promised to freeze the rents and make buses free, all paid for by a tax on New Yorkers making over $1 million per year. But now he's won the election can he actually deliver on those promises? Mark Coles hears from Mamdani's mother the filmmaker Mira Nair, colleagues and journalists to find out what shaped the man making history.

Contributors Mira Nair - film maker, mother Hari Kondabolu - standup comedian, friend Prof Brian Purnell - chair of the Africana Studies Department at Bowdoin College Cassie Wilson - volunteer for Mamdani's campaign, content creator and comedian Jagpreet Singh - political organiser for South Asian communities in New York, DRUM Beats Nada Tawfiq - BBC Correspondent in New York

Production Presenter: Mark Coles Producers: Phoebe Keane, Ben Crighton, Natasha Fernandes and Tom Farmer Production Coordinator: Maria Ogundele Sound: Gareth Jones Editor: Justine Lang


Each week, Profile from BBC Radio 4 takes a single name from the global conversation and builds a detailed portrait, moving far beyond the headlines. This isn't a simple biography or a news recap. Instead, through careful documentary storytelling and personal journal excerpts where available, the podcast constructs a nuanced examination of character and motive. You’ll hear from colleagues, critics, and sometimes the subjects themselves, piecing together what drives and defines the people shaping our world. The focus rests firmly on influence, whether in politics, the arts, science, or social movements, exploring how an individual's background and choices ripple through society and culture. Listening to this podcast feels like gaining a deeper, more textured understanding of the figures you think you know, revealing the contradictions and convictions behind the public image. It’s a thoughtful half-hour that challenges first impressions, asking what truly lies behind a name in the news.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Profile
Podcast Episodes
Dame Sarah Mullally [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:41
Dame Sarah Mullally has been installed as the new Archbishop of Canterbury this week. The former nurse from Woking is the first woman to occupy the role of de facto leader of the Church of England and leader of the globa…
Benjamin Netanyahu [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:18
Benjamin Netanyahu was born in Tel Aviv in 1949, the year after the State of Israel was founded. One of three brothers, Netanyahu spent much of his early years in the United States pursuing his education. But following h…
Ed Miliband [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:02
Former Labour leader, Ed Miliband, is now Secretary of State for Energy. A role more important than ever with surging energy costs due to the conflict in Iran. Born in 1969, Ed grew up in London’s Primrose Hill. His fath…
Wunmi Mosaku [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:14
She’s already won a Bafta for her portrayal of a hoodoo healer in the Southern gothic, Sinners. But can British actress Wunmi Mosaku win an Oscar too? Mosaku says her role has helped her connect with her ancestry and fin…
Pete Hegseth [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:16
It’s been a busy first year for the US Defense Secretary. From signal chat controversies to Operation Epic Fury, Pete Hegseth has been making headlines. Born in Minneapolis in 1980, Hegseth had what could be described as…
Mackenzie Crook [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 18:31
‘Small Prophets’ has quietly taken the world by storm. A whimsy, magical and gentle show providing a tonic to modern life. Its creator, Mackenzie Crook, could arguably described in a similar way. Born in Sutton-on-hone a…
Gavin Newsom [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:15
California’s governor, Gavin Newsom, has long clashed with US President Donald Trump - filing more than 50 lawsuits against the administration to date.Now, with a new memoir coming out, all signs seem to be pointing at N…
Teyana Taylor [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:05
It’s awards season - and one name that keeps cropping up is Teyana Taylor.She’s nominated for her first Oscar, for her role in One Battle After Another, and has already won the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress an…
Kirsty Coventry [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:01
As the 2026 Winter Olympics kick off in Italy, we look to the most powerful woman in sport - the International Olympics Committee President, Kirsty Coventry.The most decorated African Olympian of all time, the 42-year-ol…
Stephen Miller [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:33
The fatal shooting of two Minnesota residents by federal agents has contributed to the fiercest public backlash yet against the Trump administration’s hard-line immigration policy. The man widely seen as the driving forc…