New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani has once again caught social media attention, this time with a Bengali-language video aimed at the city’s high school students. In the video, Mamdani clearly and confidently speaks in Bengali while announcing a special initiative offering more than 2,000 free tickets for Broadway-style theatre shows.
Addressing New York City high school students, Mamdani begins by asking, “Kemon acho New York City-r high school poruara?” meaning, “How are you, New York City high school students?” He then explains that the city is distributing over 2,000 free tickets to Broadway shows through a lottery.
Mamdani also reminds students that the lottery has already begun and highlights an additional membership benefit available through participation. He concludes his message warmly, saying, “Thik ache, tahole dekha hobe show-te” — “Alright, then, see you at the show.”
The Bengali announcement has particularly resonated online because New York is home to a large Bengali-speaking community. Several neighbourhoods in The Bronx have significant numbers of Bengali residents, while Bengali-speaking voters have also emerged as an important part of Mamdani’s support base.
Mamdani’s connection with South Asian languages is well known. The son of Indian filmmaker Mira Nair and Ugandan-born Mahmood Mamdani, he is familiar with several languages, including Bengali, Hindi and Urdu. During his political campaigns, he has previously used Bengali and Hindi-language videos to connect with diverse communities across New York City.
