Music composer Pritam, and New York's mayor Zohran Mamdani.
Credit: PTI Photos
New Delhi: Zohran Mamdani chose popular track "Dhoom Machale" to play after his victory speech as New York's mayor-elect and no one is more thrilled than its composer Pritam who was already rooting for the politician.
The 34-year-old Indian-descent democrat, the son of filmmaker Mira Nair and Columbia University professor Mahmood Mamdani, defeated independent candidate Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa on Tuesday night.
Pritam, who got to know Mamdani's filmmaker-mother Mira Nair while she was trying to make a film called "The Bengali Detective", said he woke up to the viral video.
"I was very interested in knowing the results because Zohran Mamdani is the son of Mira Nair. (I was) Hoping that he wins. And as I woke up, a friend from America sent me the clip of his win with 'Dhoom Machale' in the background. And it sounded like such a perfect fit," the musician told PTI. The composer said the song from the 2004 Yash Raj Films heist drama has been remade in a lot of Southeast Asian languages.
"'Dhoom machale' was quite a popular song in the Southeast when it released... And Prince Charles' ceremony band played 'Dhoom Machale'. Bollywood songs have always been a big soft power for our country. The way the world reacts to bollywood songs, it creates a connection in Central Asia, US, UK, Europe, everywhere you go," he added.
Pritam has given hits like "Channa Mereya", "Tum Hi Ho Bandhu", "Badtameez Dil", "Tum Se Hi", "Pehli Nazar Mein", "Phir Le Aaya Dil" and "Kya Mujhe Pyaar Hai".
Before joining politics, Mamdani was a hip-hop artist known first as 'Young Cardamom' and then as 'Mr Cardamom'. One of his popular tracks feature celebrity chef and actor Madhur Jaffery and it is titled 'Nani'.
Pritam also found Mamdani's musical roots interesting.
"Zohran is a musician and Mira Nair's son, so his connection to hip-hop struck me as interesting," he added.