Dongri to Dubai: Six Decades of Mumbai Mafia - Softcover

Zaidi has done a remarkable job in tracing the history of the Bombay underworld. But, I am sorry to say that like all other Indian biography/history books it is incomplete and so saying half truths. The author traces the life of Dawood's father with meticulous detail that would give him five stars but not of others! Especially the Hindu Dons and their honchos are left rather softly. Also names, where are the names of the film stars, politicians and police that attended Dawood's famous parties? There are no details of how extortions were carried out and who were the people in Bollywood and Bombay business that were contacted. How did they manage to get off the hook, how did they succumb to the threats and what WERE the threats? How did the underworld get their hands on weapons, where did they source them, who were the people behind the operations? Most frustrating is that the the entire book is soft on the Bombay police force and big politicians. Without their connivance no underworld could exist anywhere. Where are the rogue cops? Where are they now, what happened to them and their wealth? These obvious gaps left me rather frustrated. I bought the book the instant I saw it on the stands trusting Zaidi will tell the whole truth. But it is not so. --Navroze Contractor

Interesting and Fast Paced Sixty of the organised crime syndicate summarized in one book. The entire book is based on facts and when you are attempting such a work of non-fiction, it takes a lot of courage and good writing skills to keep the reader interested. And trust me you won't feel bored even for a single page. Its thrilling and its fast paced. What I liked the most is how the author has described, most of the things with minutest of details and given his views on the incidences. If you are a fan of gangster flicks, you will be able to visualise many scenes which have been adapted in a lot of movies like, Satya, Once upon a time in Mumbai, Company, Shootout at Lokhandwala, etc. --Jenish Kenia

Outstanding work Zaidi is back with his superb research and great storytelling. He has succeeded in chronicling the history of the Mumbai underworld since the early 50s. The book is full of nail-biting incidences and anecdotes. The author has refrained from including inconsequential information as well. Surely, the first book to refer to, if you want to know about organised crime in Mumbai. Though, at times, you may feel the underworld is glorified, it doesn't affect the flow and experience of the book. --Ameya Chumbhale

S. Hussain Zaidi is an Indian crime reporter and author. He has written books like Mafia Queens Of Mumbai: Stories Of Women From The Ganglands and Black Friday: The True Story Of The Bombay Bomb Blasts and Headley And I. Zaidi was born to a tailor, and grew up in the Mumbai suburb of Vikhroli. He studied commerce from Chetna College, and later went on to work for newspapers like the Indian Express, Asian Age, Mid-day, and Mumbai Mirror. He has been working as a journalist and covering the Mumbai mafia for twenty years. Zaidi is an associate producer for an HBO movie which is based on the 26/11 terrorist attacks. This author also conducted the last ever published interview of Dawood Ibrahim. He is married to crime reporter Velly Thevar, and they live in Mumbai.