Qatari state-funded cultural institutions have financed multiple stage and screen projects by Mira Nair, the Indian filmmaker and mother of Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, who is projected to win New York’s mayoral election in November, the New York Post reported this week.
Sheikha Al-Mayassa bint Hamad Al-Thani, sister of Qatar’s ruling emir, reportedly directed significant funding through organizations she oversees to support Nair’s work. The Qatari government has long been accused of financing Hamas and hosting its leadership in luxury conditions.
Nair, known for award-winning films including Salaam Bombay!, Monsoon Wedding, and Mississippi Masala, has received Qatari support for more than 15 years, according to the report. She was also personally invited to take part in the cultural programming surrounding the 2022 FIFA World Cup hosted by Qatar.
As part of that initiative, a stage adaptation of Monsoon Wedding, directed by Nair, was produced by Qatar Airways and Qatar Creates. The latter was described by the Post as “another of the sheikha’s pet projects boosting the country as a cultural destination.”
The Doha Film Institute, another state-backed body, invested $15 million into Nair’s 2012 film The Reluctant Fundamentalist, reportedly covering its entire production budget. The movie, which centers on a Pakistani immigrant targeted with suspicion in the US after the 9/11 attacks, was selected to open the Doha Tribeca Film Festival that year.
Cultural partnerships and state narratives
Another of Nair’s works, Nafas, a short film portraying the lives of Qatari pearl divers, was commissioned by the Qatar National Museum, which is chaired by Sheikha Al-Thani. Though the film’s budget remains undisclosed, it was screened at prominent Qatari events.
Nair previously refused an invitation to the Haifa International Film Festival, stating that Israeli government policies “privilege one religion over another.” However, she has not publicly criticized Qatar’s record on religious freedom, including its ban on public worship for non-Muslims and its reported persecution of the Baha’i minority. Notably, the global center of the Baha’i faith is located in Haifa.
Despite Mamdani’s appeal among progressive New York voters, Nair has also not spoken out against Qatar’s criminalization of homosexuality and broader restrictions on LGBTQIA+ individuals. These issues have been raised in analyses of Qatar’s use of global sports and cultural initiatives to project a modern image.
Campaign links under scrutiny
Mamdani’s campaign declined to say whether he had received financial support from his mother. Nair and the Qatari institutions involved did not respond to the Post’s requests for comment.
According to The New York Post, since mid-June, Sheikha Al-Thani has actively promoted Mamdani’s mayoral campaign on platforms such as TikTok and Instagram. A recent report also noted significant PAC donations supporting his candidacy.