New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani recreated Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan’s iconic arm-stretch pose during a recent interview with American news network Zeteo, founded by British-American journalist Mehdi Raza Hasan.
Hasan was testing Mamdani’s Bollywood music knowledge during the segment. Though Mamdani was able to instantly recognise the beats of Chaiyya Chaiyya (1998) from Dil Se, he stumbled when the music of It’s the Time to Disco from Kal Ho Naa Ho was played.
Laughing off the miss, he quipped, “Your quiz should have had ‘call a friend’ option. I feel like Shah Rukh is moving in the song. He has just come on top of the steps and he goes like this (recreates Shah Rukh's signature pose).”
Hasan chuckled and teased Mamdani for buying time because he did not know the answer.
Son of acclaimed filmmaker Mira Nair, Mamdani stood out for his unapologetic embrace of Bollywood pop culture from the very start of his mayoral campaign.
One viral video featured Mamdani recreating the iconic Deewar scene where Amitabh Bachchan’s character lists his possessions — “Aaj mere paas buildingein hai, property hai, bank balance hai.” The punchline came when Mamdani, striking Shah Rukh Khan’s signature arms-stretch pose, looked into the camera and said simply, “Aap — I have you.”
Mamdani ended his victory rally with the 2004 chartbuster Dhoom Machale earlier this month.
The 34-year-old politician secured 43.5 per cent of the vote against Andrew Cuomo’s 36.3 per cent, marking a generational shift in the city’s Democratic politics.
Mamdani is set to assume office on January 1, 2026.