Who is Mira Nair? Acclaimed filmmaker and mother of NYC mayor Zohran Mamdani, named in DOJ’s massive Epstein file release of over 3 million documents

Publicly released US Justice Department documents connected to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein include an email referencing acclaimed filmmaker Mira Nair, mother of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, in connection with a 2009 film industry afterparty.

The reference appears in an October 21, 2009, email from veteran Hollywood publicist Peggy Siegal to Jeffrey Epstein, part of the latest batch of documents released under the Epstein Files Transparency Act. In the message, Siegal recounted leaving an afterparty for the biopic Amelia, directed by Mira Nair and starring Hilary Swank and Richard Gere.

“Just left Ghislaine’s townhouse…after party for film,” Siegal wrote in the early-morning email, referring to Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s longtime associate who was later convicted of sex trafficking. The message adds that former President Bill Clinton and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos were also in attendance, along with “director Mira Nair,” among other high-profile figures.


The email emerged as part of a massive Justice Department release of files related to Jeffrey Epstein. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said the collection included approximately 3.5 million pages, over 180,000 images, and 2,000 videos, all meticulously reviewed and redacted to protect victims’ privacy and avoid jeopardizing active investigations.

Officials stressed that the appearance of a person’s name in the documents does not imply criminal conduct.

“Today’s release marks the end of a very comprehensive document identification and review process to ensure transparency to the American people,” Blanche said, adding that no material was withheld on national security grounds and that Congress would receive a full accounting of what was released and redacted.

Who is Mira Nair?

Mira Nair directed Amelia (2009), the biopic of aviator Amelia Earhart, starring Hilary Swank and Richard Gere. Though the film received mixed reviews, Nair is celebrated internationally for socially conscious works like Salaam Bombay! and Monsoon Wedding.

The appearance of Nair’s name in the files has drawn attention in part because of her son’s political prominence. Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist, was sworn in as New York City’s 112th mayor on January 1, 2026, becoming the city’s first Muslim mayor, first South Asian and African-born mayor, and its youngest leader in more than a century.

Before his mayoral victory, Mamdani served in the New York State Assembly and built his political brand around affordability, expanded social programs and progressive taxation. Neither Mamdani nor Nair has publicly commented on the email’s inclusion in the DOJ release.