Six Decades of the Mumbai Mafia
From start to finish, this was one book I just could not put down. In Dongri to Dubai, author S. Hussain Zaidi chronicles the lives and history of the most notorious gangsters in Mumbai – all through the eyes of famed international don Dawood Ibrahim. The cops, the Pathans, the bribes, the women – Zaidi does an excellent job of putting you right in the gulleys of Dongri and the palatial homes of Dubai.
The glamorous and macho life of these gangsters has captured the imagination of many. Even more so when you consider how many Bollywood movies have been made glorifying the underworld dons. And none have risen to the top with such speed and power like that of Dawood Ibrahim.
D Company
Zaidi, crime reporter by day, originally set out to understand why so many of Mumbai’s Muslim youth opted for a life of crime. That project in itself could be a documentary and book in itself. Plans deviated, however, and Zaidi wrote of the history of the Mumbai mafia as it links to Dawood Ibrahim and his international crim syndicate – D Company.
Follow the journey of a young Dawood, son of a respected police officer, from the slums of Mumbai to the palaces of Dubai to the protection of Pakistan’s ISI agency. Given only worsening relations between India and Pakistan, this book offers insight into Dawood’s role in the ’93 Mumbai blasts. One can only understand the sudden shift from controlling black markets to international terrorism through Dawood’s lived experiences.
Dawood Ibrahim: Local Goon to Interpol’s Most Wanted
The narrative is so well-researched and meticulously strung together – almost like a jigsaw puzzle to draw the interconnected picture of it all. Fate had set up a perfect storm for a young Dawood to enter the world of crime. With his support from the local police, he forced his way to the top of the Mumbai underworld. All the while replacing the likes of Haji Mastan, Varadarajan Mudaliar, and the Pathans. Zaidi walks the reader through the chronological history and pivotal moments in Dawood’s life.
Moments like his upstaging of the local don, the assassination of his brother, his links to Bollywood, and ultimately his connections with the Mumbai blasts. Dawood was never one for interreligious conflict, as it was bad for business. The sudden shift to Islamic militarism in his post-93 communications almost certainly points to Pakistani influence.
Perhaps most interesting for me was the relative unimportance the author has emphasized on Hindu-Muslim relations. This is a topic that has gained far too much steam in modern day Indian politics. In an almost ironic sense, the gangs of the underworld had produced far better working relationships and humanity amongst themselves than the current leading political party. Food for thought.
Recommendation: Must Read
For anyone that is drawn into the allure and mystery of the Mumbai world of crime, this book does a damn good job of quenching that thirst.
