'Reductive perspective': Indian-origin woman who slammed Zohran Mamdani's glorification now calls Mira Nair 'Hinduphobic'

An Indian-origin Hindu woman, Indu Viswanathan , who found New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani 's glorification after his surprising primary win nauseating, said Mamdani's mother Mira Nair is Hinduphobic. Viswanathan said in Nair's movies, the Hindu characters are riddled with prejudice and there is no exploration of Hindu identity or society in a complex or humanized way.

"If she's not flattening Hindu characters and the richness of Hindu philosophy, she's erasing Hindu perspectives and voices entirely. When she speaks publicly, she reflects the same reductive perspectives on Hindus and Hinduism," she wrote.

"Hindu characters in her films often play roles of gatekeepers of patriarchy, bigotry, or repression, while liberation is shown through Western ideals or rejection of Hindu norms. Her films rarely feature devout or joyful Hindu spiritual life, nor showcase the diversity or depth of Hindu theology," the post read.

People are asking me why I think Mira Nair is Hinduphobic. While I can’t know what is precisely in her mind and heart, her filmography and public speech signal the ideas she wants to put out into the world.

Nair may position her films as activist art, but they amplify…

— Indu Viswanathan (@indumathi37) July 5, 2025

Earlier, Vishwanathan accused Mamdani of distorting facts, manipulating identity politics and cited his statement that there are no more Muslims left in Gujarat, as an example. "Mamdani's lie isn’t accidental or something that can be dismissed. It is central to the larger fabrication of his own victimhood status in the world," she said adding that there are over 7 million Muslims in Gujarat.

"And if he’s willing to erase 7 million members of his own community of Gujarati Muslims for political expediency in New York, what does that mean for 200,000 Hindus living in New York? What does it mean for the 5 million Jews living here? Shouldn’t we all be concerned when a public figure casually erases entire communities to score rhetorical points?" she wrote.

Don't tell me what Zohran Mamdani's victory means for me as a "South Asian" New Yorker.

I am a lifelong liberal New Yorker. I grew up in Westchester, and I've lived in the city since 1997. I love this messy place. I believe in our particular spirit and expressions of democracy,… pic.twitter.com/xQ98w4JDHg

— Indu Viswanathan (@indumathi37) June 27, 2025

Since the election and after Andrew Cuomo conceded the election to Mamdani, Mamdani has been at the center of many racial, political attacks. Republicans called for deporting him as he became a US citizen only in 2018. Mamdani also drew flak for identifying himself as Black in the application form of Columbia University, where he didn't get the chance to study.