New York City has a new presumptive Democratic mayoral primary winner, which also signifies a new frontrunner for November’s election. But what do Harry Potter, Harold & Kumar, and Denzel Washington have to do with the story of 33-year-old Zohran Mamdani? As it turns out, he is the son of successful Indian-American filmmaker Mira Nair, who has been creating films for almost 40 years since her 1988 debut Salaam Bombay! received an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film.

Nair often engages in ambitious literary adaptations: She directed the 2004 version of Vanity Fair starring Reese Witherspoon, took on a more modern classic with her 2006 adaptation of Jhumpa Lahiri’s The Namesake, and produced a miniseries version of the novel A Suitable Boy in 2020, for which she discussed with Decider. However, she is perhaps most recognized for a pair of films created a decade apart, one in the U.S. and the other in India.

The 1991 film Mississippi Masala, recently inducted into the Criterion Collection, is now more accessible after years of limited availability. It centers on an interracial romance between Mina (Sarita Choudhury), the daughter of Uganda Indians residing in Mississippi, and Demetrius (Denzel Washington), a local. The film delves into the immigrant experience through Mina’s family and Demetrius’s response to their biases, yet it avoids becoming a preachy social-issue narrative seeking awards. The romance aspect is delightful and genuinely passionate, with both Choudhury and Washington delivering outstanding (and appealing) performances, whether showcasing their charm or their genuine acting skills. The film’s nuanced storytelling and avoidance of overt moralizing are likely reasons Mississippi Masala became relatively obscure for some time. (Additionally, its limited availability over the years contributed to its obscurity. Mamdani himself only watched it in 2011!) It epitomizes a clever, heartfelt romantic comedy-drama for adults, which is becoming increasingly rare.

Nair also explores family and romantic dynamics in 2001’s Monsoon Wedding, an ensemble piece centering on the arranged marriage of Aditi (Vasundhara Das), from Dehli, to Hemant (Parvin Dabas), from Houston. Nair moves between characters (and languages) with an Altmanesque ease, attempting to create a more grounded version of heightened Bollywood entertainments. It’s not currently streaming, but like Mississippi Masala, it’s also a Criterion Collection selection, and still in print on Blu-ray and DVD. (Both movies are also more likely to pop up on the Criterion Channel.)

In interviews both adjacent to the primary and years earlier, Nair has spoken about her son’s influence on her work. She apparently cast Kal Penn in The Namesake because lil’ Zohan made her watch Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle. (Good call from son and mom!) That wasn’t his only input on The Namesake in particular. Per an interview with film critic Sean Burns, she was offered a later-period Harry Potter sequel around the same time, and her son told her to direct The Namesake instead, assessing that “anyone” could direct Potter, while only she could make the Lahiri adaptation.

Mamdani would have been twelve or thirteen at the time; maybe a little past peak Potter obsession age, but it’s still impressive to hear about a kid shooing his mom away from taking a job aimed right at his demographic and encouraging her to pursue a passion project instead. (And, again, this interview took place well before Mamdani was on the campaign trail.) Moreover: Just think, a New York-bred politician whose wealthy parent actually makes art people love, rather than real estate deals that rip people off!

Jesse Hassenger (@rockmarooned) is a writer living in Brooklyn podcasting at www.sportsalcohol.com. He’s a regular contributor to The A.V. Club, Polygon, and The Week, among others.