No Monsoon Wedding for Zohran: New York City Mayoral Challenger Reveals Marriage Amid Campaign Spotlight
- Currently polling second behind former Governor Andrew Cuomo, Mamdani has attracted attention for his unapologetic socialist stance.
Zohran Mamdani, the 33-year-old Democratic socialist and son of filmmaker Mira Nair (‘Monsoon Wedding’), who has risen to second place in New York City’s crowded mayoral primary race, recently brought his marriage into the public eye after facing scrutiny about his relationship.
The Queens state Assembly member married Rama Duwaji, a 27-year-old Syrian artist whose illustrations have appeared in prestigious publications including The New Yorker, Washington Post, and VICE. While Mamdani had made little mention of his relationship throughout his campaign, he was recently prompted to share details after facing questions about a ceremony held in Dubai.
According to reporting from the New York Post, Mamdani and Duwaji held an engagement celebration and Nikkah—an Islamic religious ceremony involving the signing of a marriage contract—on December 22, 2024. The event took place on the rooftop of Vida Creek Harbour in Dubai, which offers views of the Burj Khalifa.
“Before their civil ceremony in New York City, Zohran and his wife celebrated their engagement in Dubai last year—where her family lives—with a small, joyful ceremony surrounded by their loved ones,” the Mamdani campaign said in a statement to the Post.
Wedding packages at the venue reportedly cost about $72 per person, with a minimum food and beverage spend of approximately $2,700—a figure the New York Post described as “socialist-friendly,” while The Cut noted it was not particularly “extravagant.”
The couple later formalized their union with a civil ceremony at the clerk’s office in New York City. In an interview with Interview Magazine, Mamdani called the clerk’s office his favorite building in the city, describing it as “reminiscent of a different New York City” and “in many ways public goods personified.”
After questions about his marriage surfaced alongside scrutiny from critics on social media, Mamdani took to Instagram to address the situation head-on.
“If you take a look at Twitter today, or any day for that matter, you know how vicious politics can be. I usually brush it off, whether it’s death threats or calls for me to be deported. But it’s different when it’s about those you love,” he wrote, as reported by The Cut.
He continued: “Rama isn’t just my wife, she’s an incredible artist who deserves to be known on her own terms. You can critique my views, but not my family.”
Rising Political Profile
Mamdani has gained significant traction in the Democratic primary race to replace Eric Adams as mayor of New York City. Currently polling second behind former Governor Andrew Cuomo, Mamdani has attracted attention for his unapologetic socialist stance.
The mayoral candidate comes from a notable family—he is the son of award-winning filmmaker Mira Nair, who directed “Monsoon Wedding” (2001), and Ugandan academic Mahmood Mamdani.
As Mamdani’s campaign continues to gain momentum, the photos of the couple’s New York City civil ceremony have captured public attention, with The Cut suggesting they might soon appear “on every Pinterest board with a name like ‘NYC elopement 2026’ for the foreseeable future.”
(Wedding photo: Screen grab from Instagram).