Activist, author, and filmmaker Ruchira Gupta breaks down why Zohran Mamdani’s campaign is rewriting the rules of New York City politics. From grassroots street walks to symbolic gestures that resonate with immigrant communities, Gupta explains how his authenticity, energy, and connection with everyday New Yorkers are setting him apart.
Mamdani showed his keen political instinct during the final mayoral debate, greeting the city in Mandarin with “Ni Hao” just a day after a major ICE raid in Chinatown — a move that resonated strongly with New York’s immigrant communities.
On a foggy, cold morning, just a day before the big race for the New York City mayor, Zohran Mamdani set out on an early morning walk from the Brooklyn Bridge towards City Hall in Manhattan with a huge group, carrying the banner “Our Time is Now.” As sun splintered through the skies and shone into the big city, with bigger problems, the motley crowd, marching with Mamdani continued to swell as seemingly everyone from baristas to bankers; canvassers to commuters; nurses to nannies; door-dashers to drivers – joined the group.
With over 735,000 New York votes already in, these are do-or-die moments for Zohran Mamdani– moments he seems determined to make the most of.
From working night shifts on the streets of New York to canvassing the taxi line at LaGuardia to showing up at 2:00 am at Papi Juice, the beloved Brooklyn gay bar, Mamdani has effectively turned electioneering into something between a grassroots movement and an art form.
Like many New Yorkers, Ruchira Gupta, an Emmy-winning filmmaker, author, activist, and NYU professor, is closely watching the NYC mayoral race and confirms that Mamdani brings in an unprecedented enthusiasm into the old-guard corridors of campaigning. Gupta says, “Zohran’s campaign seems to be succeeding because he is speaking to small business owners instead of the successful rich who have long enjoyed exclusive access to city politics.”
Gupta says she isn’t surprised at the newer, raw energy Zohran is bringing in, given that she had early access to the mind of a younger Zohran when he was just beginning his political journey. Gupta recalls, “I first met Zohran at a dinner back in 2017 at a time he was a campaign volunteer and hadn’t run for public office himself. But there was an unmistakable passionate approach to issues.”
Gupta also admires the fact that Zohran hasn’t wavered from his earlier beliefs, given that contesting in big city America comes with its own share of pragmatism. She says, “I remember, years ago while talking about funding, he told me, ‘Aunty Ruchira, I don’t want to raise big money from one person, but I want to raise small money from a lot of people. Years later, he stuck to his principles.”
What makes Zohran click, not just with young New Yorkers but with younger generations across the country, even continents? Gupta says, “I think the younger generation in America today is cutting across the barriers of class, religion, or race. The younger generation does not mind being identified as working class. They are not even swayed by the higher-paying professions and are willingly choosing more creative pursuits in arts, academia, and even politics over traditionally higher-paying vocations. And Zohran speaks to them. He is cutting across class lines; he is half Indian, half African, and he identifies as Muslim. He is daring and is not afraid to make statements such as that he would arrest Netanyahu if he were to come to New York. Basically, part of his appeal lies in the fact that he is not doing the two sides—something that Democrats did in the past, and it led them down.”
While Gupta shares the frustration that the Democratic Party is not rallying behind him like they should but admires the fact that Zohran didn’t leave the party and led from within.
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A quick chat across the streets of New York reveals that for a commoner in New York, to see a mayoral candidate going door to door or bodega to bodega has been the kind of political visibility that hadn’t been seen in a long time. Gupta thinks it is this personal charm to connect with a common New York that makes all the difference. She says, “Zohran goes from shop to shop, from eateries to barber shops to taxi stops to nightclubs, and the most incredible thing is that he has got the pulse of the people.”
Gupta relates a recent example. She says, “During the final NYC mayoral debate, when the candidates were asked if they could greet New Yorkers in another language, Mamdani said, ‘Ni Hao.’” The fact that the debate was just a day after ICE conducted a major raid on New York’s Chinatown did not go unnoticed.”
Not just for a scholar like Gupta but for the city’s everyday residents, it is subtle yet powerful gestures like these that firm up a candidate’s base.
While Gupta affirms that Mamdani’s politics is something that many New Yorkers are looking ahead to, it is impossible that the public won’t have divergent views. She says, “While I admire most of Mamdani’s views, there are some I may not agree with. His views on the decriminalization of sex work, for instance, are something that do not align with me. But, he seems like a guy you can have a conversation with on differing policies. So, I would not like to interrupt his campaign but instead wait for a time to voice my concerns.”
On Democrats not seizing up the moment and learning from Zohran’s refreshing campaign, Gupta says, “Looks like Democrats are just lazy. Zohran’s win might just open up a new wave of realization and can be a big boost for younger Democrats who will get more confidence to uphold their views. Whatever happens on November 4, Zohran’s campaign has already proven one thing: he understands the most basic rule of politics—the will to power.”