Zohran Mamdani channels Shah Rukh Khan, Rishi Kapoor for New York mayor campaign. Watch

Indian-origin Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani is competing to become New York's next mayor. He is vying to beat ex-governor Andrew Cuomo and is inching towards a win, as per the latest polling data. His innovative political campaign might have something to do with Mamdani's progress in the polls. The Indian-American is playing on his heritage to attract voters, using Bollywood-style promotional ads in Hindi, complete with songs. Mamdani is Indian filmmaker Mira Nair's son and has used the filmmaking facility to his advantage.

He starts the video by telling people that the choice is between him and Andrew Cuomo. "If you are only now learning about the election, then this is what Andrew Cuomo is offering," he says.

The video cuts to a shot of the epic scene from the movie Deewar where Amitabh Bachchan asks Shashi Kapoor, "Mere paas building hain, property hain, bangla hain, gaadi hain, bank balance hai, kya hai tumhare paas?" (I have buildings, properties, bungalows, cars, bank balance. What do you have?).

Mamdani poses in classic Shah Rukh Khan style

Cut to Mamdani standing on the street in Shah Rukh Khan's popular pose of open arms, as he says, "You," as the theme music of the song Om Shanti Om plays in the background.

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He then tells in the video in Hindi that they have “raised $8 million because of the people, knocked on six lakh doors and are now this close to choosing the city's first South Asian mayor.”

Mamdani then hits the nail on the head, saying that it is now about "what he'll become", but about "what he'll do" for every New Yorker.

Will make "roti, kapda aur makaan" affordable, says Mamdani

He lists the problems New Yorkers are facing, saying they are barely able to afford "roti, kapda aur makaan" (food, clothes and house), another famous Bollywood film.

"I am fighting to change all this," he says, "through rent freeze, free buses, universal childcare and cheap groceries."

Mamdani channels Rishi Kapoor from Karz

"But I want to ask you one question? He says, before breaking into another famous Bollywood song from the movie Karz. "Hey, tumne kabhi kisi ko vote kiya?" (Have you ever voted for someone?), as a group of Indians reply, "Yes."

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"Kabhi kisi ko rank kiya? (Ever ranked someone?), to which the people go, "What?"

Then, Mamdani goes on to explain the rank-choice voting system used in New York, by using five tumblers of lassi (Indian milkshake made with curd), pouring the contents from one to another to explain how a candidate gains a majority. He basically tried to simplify things for the people who are not fully familiar with the process.

He asks people to rank him, Zohran Mamdani, as their first choice on the ballot to help him win. He also lists the other three candidates they can choose, and strictly requests them not to vote for Andrew Cuomo because "his campaign is being run using funds from Trump's donors", and a win will "give them control over New York along with DC."

He ends the video with another Hindi film song.

According to the latest data for the Progress Survey of likely Democratic primary voters. Mamdani is only seven points behind Cuomo in the first round of New York City's ranked-choice voting system.