‘Ab Laga Hai Real Indian!’: Zohran Mamdani’s Rajnigandha Moment In New York Goes Viral

Last Updated:November 05, 2025, 17:58 IST

Zohran Mamdani became the first Muslim and Indian-origin Mayor of New York after defeating Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Silwa in the mayoral elections.

Zohran Mamdani casually eating Rajnigandha has gone viral on social media. (Instagram)

Zohran Mamdani scripted history on Tuesday after clinching an unprecedented victory in the New York mayoral polls, making him the first Muslim and Indian-origin Mayor of the Big Apple. The 34-year-old son of Indian filmmaker Mira Nair won against former New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo and Republican nominee Curtis Silwa to win.

However, a video of Mamdani casually eating a Rajnigandha mouth freshener during a street campaign spread like wildfire on the internet, becoming yet another talking point of his campaign and amusement for Indian users.

The video by American influencer Nicolas Nuvan showed Mamdani stepping out of a black SUV and stopping for a quick chat. When Nuvan asked if Mamdani had eaten, he said, “I did eat today – chicken shawarma."

ALSO READ: Zohran Mamdani Slams Trump In Fiery Victory Speech: ‘New York Will Remain A City Of Immigrants’

He then pulled out a packet of Rajnigandha from his pocket, saying, “I’ve also started having a lot of these… It’s like a mint." Mamdani then offered some to Nuvan, to which he said, “Oh wow, that’s delicious. It feels like I’m consuming perfume, but it tastes good. I like it."

Mamdani then cheekily responded, “Perfumes you can eat." He then interacted with people in the New York neighbourhood. He also highlighted the issue of affordability for small businesses.

The moment quickly drew the attention of social media users. “No way he just ate Rajnigandha (South Asians will relate)," wrote one user.

“Muh mai rajnigandha kadmon mai duniya. It’s true," another person commented. A third individual wrote, “Omg never in my life I thought Rajnigandha will make it to New York."

“Ab laga h bhai real Indian….. Rajnigandha. Any way Love for you bro," a user said.

Democrats swept a trio of races on Tuesday in the first major elections since Trump returned to power nine months ago, elevating a new generation of leaders and injecting fresh momentum into the beleaguered party ahead of next year’s congressional elections.

Mamdani has pledged to make countering US President Donald Trump’s immigration policies and “authoritarian tendencies" central to his administration in New York, while Trump has already warned of potential federal funding cuts to the city under Mamdani’s leadership.

The 34-year-old election winner was born in Uganda to a family of Indian origin and has lived in the United States since he was seven, becoming a naturalised US citizen in 2018. He is the son of filmmaker Mira Nair (“Monsoon Wedding," “Mississippi Masala") and Mahmood Mamdani, a professor and respected Africa expert.

Aveek Banerjee

Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master's in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international...Read More

Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master's in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international...

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