Indian-American filmmaker Mira Nair's son, Zohran Mamdani, has made history. He may soon become the next mayor of New York City, having been nominated in the Democratic mayoral primary after Andrew Cuomo conceded the race.

Mira Nair rejected Harry Potter on son's advice

But did you know that this 33-year-old had a pivotal role in shaping one of Mira Nair’s most iconic films—The Namesake? He was the reason she pursued the Irrfan Khan-starrer when faced with a very difficult choice.

Though Zohran didn’t follow in his mother’s footsteps to become a filmmaker, he’s always had an eye for talent and storytelling. Years ago, when Mira Nair was considering adapting Jhumpa Lahiri's novel The Namesake for the screen, she received another tempting offer: to direct the fifth Harry Potter film (Order of the Phoenix).