ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Zohran Mamdani's 'nani' behind viral rap dies
Salaam Baalak Trust co-founder, whose work inspired generations, died at 94 after six decades in social service.
-
Pranavi Sharma - Tue, 04, Aug 2026
- 03:46 EDT
- 228
Praveen Nair / Instagram/ salaambaalaktrustdelhi
Praveen Nair, the co-founder of Salaam Baalak Trust and the grandmother of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, has died at the age of 94 after spending six decades in social work.
Nair, whose life also inspired Mamdani's viral rap song "Nani," helped establish one of India's best-known charities for street and working children and was widely recognized for her contributions to child welfare.
Nair co-founded Salaam Baalak Trust in 1988 with three staff members, 25 children and a small space at New Delhi Railway Station provided by the railway police. The trust was established using proceeds from 'Salaam Bombay!', the acclaimed film directed by her daughter, filmmaker Mira Nair.
ALSO READ: Priyanka Chopra to star in Mira Nair’s next
The announcement of her death was made by her co-founder, Sanjoy Roy, who leads the Jaipur Literature Festival.
"End of an era! Praveen Nair passes away at the age of 94," Roy wrote on X.
He added: "We have cared for over 170,000 children in our homes and contact points in Delhi. Her extraordinary eye for detail, empathy, love for children and commitment to social work will be her abiding legacy."
The trust provides shelter, food, clothing, education, health care, counseling and recreational opportunities to street and working children across the Delhi region.
Nair's work in the development sector spanned six decades, much of it in Odisha, where she headed committees for the Red Cross, DAV Public School and the Deaf and Dumb Association. Within Salaam Baalak Trust, she was known simply as "Didi" and became an advocate for the rights of street and working children in policy and legislative forums, helping shape the organization's programs.
Her contributions were recognized with the National Award for Child Welfare, presented by the President of India in 2011. In 2017, she received the Jamnalal Bajaj Award for development and welfare of women and children. She also received an honorary doctorate in social innovation from CQUniversity in Australia.
The creation of Salaam Baalak Trust was inspired by 'Salaam Bombay!', which documented the lives of children living on the streets. The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 1988, where it won the Caméra d'Or and the Audience Award. It was later nominated for the Academy Award for best foreign language film.
According to the report, photographers at Cannes once assumed Nair was part of the film's cast and asked what role she had played. She replied that she was "the producer of the director."
Before entering politics, Mamdani recorded music under the name Mr Cardamom. His song "Nani," written in 2017 and released in 2019, was a tribute to his grandmother. Speaking to The New York Times in 2019, Mamdani said his grandmother had "gone against the grain in a great many different ways."
Nair was married to Amrit Lal Nair, an Indian Administrative Service officer, and was the mother of Mira Nair and sons Vikram and Gautam. Mira Nair has spoken about her mother's influence on her independence and fearlessness.
Discover more at New India Abroad.
Leave A Comment
Related
.jpg)
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
E Paper
Video
Comments
Start the conversation
Become a member of New India Abroad to start commenting.
Sign Up Now
Already have an account? Login