Dongri To Dubai : Six Decades Of The Mumbai Mafia (2012) - Plot & Excerpts
'Dongri to Dubai' is the binded compilation of Hussain Zaidi's lifework, the veteran journalist of Mumbai crime history. It is not only the story of a marginalized Muslim kid from the slums of Dongri living under poverty line who rises from the ranks to control the Asian continent and all its business hold to become the Forbes 50 most powerful men but also the entire history of crime and mafiadom in India as a whole. It starts with the same 'ghetto-breeds-crime' story where Muslim youths resolve to crime for quick money in a marginalized Hindu society. Then the first 'encounter' of Indian history by police in 'Shooutout at Wadwala' which has become a cultural phenomenon then there's 'Shootout at Lokhandwala' then there's oceans of blood and streams of bloodshed. From 'Hawala' system to snatching purse, from Rampuri knives to RDX, from running errands for local bhailog to smuggling gold from Dubai, from local gangs to Saudi Royalties, from Mumbai to Dubai to Karachi to the world, from providing logistics to Mumbai Bombings to laying the track road for Bin Laden, Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar is the epitome of Slumdog Millionaire for better or for worse, probably for the worse. This book has all the drama, the passion, the killing, the thrill, the manhood, the murder, the suspense, the classical villains-die-in-the-end to the ultimate survivor story of one underdog who manages to outsmart hunters of the empire of America to this day. Imagine a dirt poor kid with no education that started to make his mark at 20 years old by stabbing people and snatching purses to being escorted by the ISI of Pakistani government in armored vehicle in the middle of the night with the world at his feet living a conspicuously and lavishly opulent life in his so called 'White House' mansions in Karachi and around the world. A story of many but one man in particular, the 50 paisa kid from Dongri who goes to 6 billion USD while overseeing the whole continent of Asia. An interesting book for those who want to know about Bombay mafia, or want to dip into the murky world of real life crime.I found it a strange cocktail of fiction, non-fiction and embellishments. I take at face value the large body of knowledge that underpins the book, as I am unable to confirm or refute its veracity. For sure, it made interesting reading.There is a lot of conversation that has reportedly taken place between powerful gangsters. The author would clearly not have been privy to them. So, he has probably done the next best thing - documented the versions (most likely romanticized) that reached his ears after being passed on by numerous lips.Similarly, there are numerous thoughts from inside gangsters' heads too. I chose to view these as dramatisations that make reading interesting. And finally, there are embellishments. For instance, one trait or characteristic of a person is exaggerated to etch him deeply. It could be his cruelty, or his devoutness, or something similar.There is a disturbing undercurrent of awe that comes from the pages as the author narrates episodes. The narration itself tends to glorify these men, and chooses to portray the police as impotent nitwits or corrupt lackeys. The one good guy, it seems, is Dawood's father. There is no mention of what happened to him. Or of other gangsters who are discussed in detail in the first half of the book. Once the author get to Dawood's life, nothing else seems to matter.That was as far the content is concerned. The writing itself is distinctly filmy. But when you have good, unique content (the content here is definitely unique), who cares about the writing? Like I said at the beginning, the book makes interesting reading.
What do You think about Dongri To Dubai : Six Decades Of The Mumbai Mafia (2012)?
its awesome...it gives you complete knowledge og mumbai crime even before 1947....
—jz678
A fantastic amalgamation of the Indian underworld...
—TionnaMarie
