Mafia Queens of Mumbai: Women Who Ruled the Ganglands

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The "Wives of Hindu Dons" as the name suggested talks about the wives of some known Mumbai Mafia's and their contribution to their life. Over the years, Zaidi transitioned from journalism to writing and screenwriting, bringing his unparalleled insights and storytelling prowess to a wider audience. I know his books have been turned into popular films but that doesn't really say much for quality, Twilight was turned into a film too.

No missing or damaged pages, no creases or tears, no underlining or highlighting of text, and no writing in the margins.Born on February 28, 1962, in Mumbai, India, Zaidi has left an indelible mark on the literary and cinematic landscapes of India, particularly in the realm of crime and the Mumbai underworld. Dawood Ibrahim, Haji Mastan, Abu Salem, Chhota Rajan, Karim Lala - the who’s who of the underworld were often single-handedly supported or taken on by certain women who were not only bold and brave but were determined to have their way.

Frankly I must admit that I had not even heard of the mafia queens whose stories are told in this book, except a few. She was respected mostly for the reason that she also protected those involved in prostitution, and fought for decriminalization of prostitution.

Matt Daniels of Mint wrote, "These are a handful of women who lived fearlessly, and Mafia Queens celebrates their spirit. Tarannum Khan made millions from her betting on cricket, while Archana Sharma through being a threat to millionaires.

However, he also credits the authors by saying that the stories are almost like screenplay of a movie.Starlets like Monica Bedi, Preeti Jain and Tarannum Khan have used their beauty to the hilt and others like Rubina and Papamani gave a damn about beauty and ruled the underworld on the basis of their brain powers. Kudos to her, reading about Papamani only gives me chills, let alone meeting her alone that too in her own area. Zara Murao of Hindustan Times reviewed: "It’s hard to tell how much of Mafia Queens is apocryphal, given that each of the 13 stories is pieced together from official documents, case reports and anecdotes from the subject’s family and acquaintances. Ashraf, who learnt of her husband’s underworld connection only after he was killed, transformed herself into the powerful Sapna Didi, to try and take down her husband’s killer.

Mafia Queens of Mumbai: Stories of Women from the Ganglands" - In this compelling book, Zaidi sheds light on the powerful and enigmatic women who played significant roles in Mumbai's underworld. The plot of the Alia Bhatt starrer is picked from a chapter of crime journalist Hussain Zaidi’s book, Mafia Queens of Mumbai. i picked it at 0040 AM today, thinking it'll lull me to sleep - and instead i sat up till 330 and finished this at 1 shot! Also, the book only highlights the good/sympathizing parts of these women, which makes them into this main character mold where you root for them and I would've liked to see the bad side of it.Nevertheless, I feel Zaidi has unnecessarily dragged the book by including the last two chapters which I feel a little out of place with the other mafia queens that got featured in this book. I was hooked to learn the tenacity, the grit, the determination of each of these ladies who had come to rule the underworld by their own choice, desire or by the virtue that their love for their respective partners made them choose this world wittingly or unwittingly. Read it to understand that a human being is driven not only by power and money but also by the need to love and be loved. Somewhere else, many years ago, an alone, sick and pained woman was stabbed multiple times in her private parts because she dared to stand up for her beloved departed and many more years ago and still remembered as a deity by few was a sex worker who'd put today's feminists to shame.