S. Hussain Zaidi

Last updated

S. Hussain Zaidi
S. Hussain Zaidi.jpg
BornSyed Hussain Zaidi
(1968-02-28) 28 February 1968 (age 56)
Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Occupation Novelist, journalist, Movie Producer
GenreNonfiction, fiction, crime, mafia, investigation, documentary
Notable works
SpouseVelly Thevar [1]

Syed Hussain Zaidi (born 28 February 1968) is an Indian author and former investigative journalist. [2] His works include Dongri to Dubai: Six Decades of the Mumbai Mafia , Mafia Queens of Mumbai , Black Friday , My Name is Abu Salem and Mumbai Avengers. [3]

Contents

S. Hussain Zaidi is India's most prolific crime writer. [4] He publishes under the Blue Salt imprint. [5] [6] The Mumbai mafia has been his focus in books such as Dongri to Dubai: Six Decades of the Mumbai Mafia, Mafia Queens of Mumbai, My Name is Abu Salem and Byculla to Bangkok .

Zaidi began his career in journalism while working for the newspaper The Asian Age , where he became the resident editor. [7] Zaidi later worked for several other periodicals, including The Indian Express , [8] Mid-Day and Mumbai Mirror . His in-depth research on the Mumbai mafia has been used by international authors, including Misha Glenny in McMafia and Vikram Chandra in his book Sacred Games . [9] [10] Zaidi was once kidnapped in Iraq. [11]

Zaidi has covered the Mumbai mafia for several decades. His 2002 book Black Friday detailed the 1993 Mumbai bombings, an attack consisting of thirteen explosions that killed 250 people. The book was adapted two years later, in 2004, into a film by Anurag Kashyap also titled Black Friday . The film was so controversial that the Indian Censor Board did not allow it to be released in India for three years. It was finally released on 9 February 2007 after the Supreme Court of India allowed it following the TADA court verdict in the '93 Bombay blast case. In Dongri to Dubai: Six Decades of the Mumbai Mafia, a historical account of the Mumbai mafia, Zaidi conducted an interview with crime boss Dawood Ibrahim, who is suspected of having orchestrated the bombings. The book was adapted into the film Shootout at Wadala by Sanjay Gupta. [12]

Zaidi was also an associate producer of the HBO documentary Terror in Mumbai , which is based on the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai. [13] [14]

The 2015 Kabir Khan film Phantom , starring Saif Ali Khan and Katrina Kaif, is an adaptation of Zaidi's book Mumbai Avengers; the screenplay was written in conjunction with the author. [15] [16]

Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani of Excel Entertainment are making a web series titled Bambay meri jaan , an adaptation of Zaidi's book. The series will reportedly focus on Dawood Ibrahim's early life, as well as his gang members and other contemporary mob bosses. [17] [18] [19]

Shah Rukh Khan's production house Red Chillies Entertainment released a Netflix film titled Class of '83 , starring Bobby Deol and directed by Atul Sabharwal, based on Zaidi's book of the same name. [20] [21]

Gangubai Kathiawadi is an Indian Hindi-language biographical crime film directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali and produced by Bhansali Productions in conjunction with Jayantilal Gada's Pen India Ltd. The film is based on Zaidi's book Mafia Queens of Mumbai. The story revolves around Gangubai Kothewali, a brothel owner and matriarch. [22] [23] [24]

Matchbox Pictures has acquired the filming rights [25] [26] [27] to journalist Jigna Vora's book Behind Bars in Byculla: My Days in Prison, co-published by Penguin Random House and Blue Salt. [28] [29]

London Confidential: The Chinese Conspiracy is an Indian Hindi-language spy thriller film which has been streaming on ZEE5 since September 2020. Directed by Kanwal Sethi and produced by Mohit Chhabra and Ajay Rai, it was written by Zaidi and stars Mouni Roy and Purab Kohli. [30] [31] the narrative revolves around a conspiracy to spread an infection. [32]

Zaidi did an interview with Spymaster Lucky Bisht in June 2022, Bisht was in many controversies during his job, for which he had to go to jail but later he was acquitted of judiciary. [33] [34]

The assassination of Raju Pargai and Amit Arya, R.A.W. Hitman: The Real Story of Agent Lima lays bare the enigmatic life of a spy, navigating a treacherous world of espionage, assassination and politics uncovering a web of deceit that changes the course of his life. The biggest question is Lucky Bisht and Agent Lima are both the same becomes the best seller book in just 3 weeks. [35] [36]

Publications

Filmography

YearFilmNotesReferences
2004 Black Friday [43]
2013 Shootout at Wadala [44]
2015 Phantom [45]
2020 Class of '83 [46]
London Confidential: The Chinese Conspiracy
2021 Lahore Confidential [47]
Dongri To Dubai [48]
2022 Gangubai Kathiawadi [49] [50]
2023 Mumbai Mafia: Police vs The Underworld [51]
Scoop [52] [53]
Bambai Meri Jaan [54]
2024 Indian Police Force (TV series) [55] [56]

Related Research Articles

Arun Gulab Gawli also known as Arun Gulab Ahir, is an Indian politician, underworld don and retired gangster. Gawli and his brother Kishor (Pappa) entered the Mumbai underworld in the 1970s, when they joined the "Byculla Company", a criminal gang led by Rama Naik and Babu Reshim, operating in the central Mumbai areas of Byculla, Parel and Saat Rasta. In 1988, after Rama Naik was killed in a police encounter, Gawli took over the gang and began operating it from his residence, Dagdi Chawl. Under his control, the gang controlled most criminal activities in the central Mumbai areas. Throughout the late eighties and nineties, Gawli's gang was involved in a power struggle with Dawood Ibrahim's D-Company gang. Gawli is also the founder of the Akhil Bharatiya Sena political party based in Maharashtra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sanjay Leela Bhansali</span> Indian film director, producer and screenwriter

Sanjay Leela Bhansali is an Indian filmmaker and music composer, who works in Hindi cinema. He is the recipient of several awards, including seven National Film Awards and 12 Filmfare Awards, in addition to a nomination for a BAFTA Award. In 2015, the Government of India honoured him with the Padma Shri, the fourth-highest civilian award. Bhansali is best known for his use of aesthetics, musical vision and Period dramas.

Organised crime in India refers to organised crime elements originating in India and active in many parts of the world. The purpose of organised crime in India, as elsewhere in the world, is monetary gain. Its virulent form in modern times is due to several socio-economic and political factors and advances in science and technology. There is no firm data to indicate the number of organised criminal gangs operating in the country, their membership, their modus operandi, and the areas of their operations. Their structure and leadership patterns may not strictly fall in line with the classical Italian mafia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Karim Lala</span> Indian mobster (1911–2002)

Karim Lala, born as Abdul Karim Sher Khan in the Samalam Village of the Shegal District of the Kunar province of Afghanistan. The other two being Mastan Mirza aka Haji Mastan and Varadarajan Mudaliar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Varadarajan Mudaliar</span> Indian mob boss

Sathuvachari Varadarajan Mudaliar, also known as Vardhabhai and Vardha, was an Indian crime boss. From the early 1960s to the 1980s, he was, along with Karim Lala and Haji Mastan, one of the most powerful mob bosses in Bombay. His origin is Sathuvachari in North Arcot district of Tamil Nadu, from where his father migrated to Tuticorin to work in shipping business. He was born in Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sudeep Chatterjee</span> Indian cinematographer

Sudeep Chatterjee is an Indian cinematographer, who mainly works in Hindi films and Bengali films. He has collaborated with critically acclaimed directors like Buddhadeb Dasgupta, Vishal Bharadwaj, Srijit Mukherji, Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Nagesh Kukunoor. He is mostly known for his work in films like Iqbal (2005), Chak De India (2007), Guzaarish (2010), Dhoom 3 (2013), Chotushkone (2014), Bajirao Mastani (2015), Padmaavat (2018), and Gangubai Kathiawadi (2022). He has received the National Film Award for Best Cinematography, twice, for Chotushkone and Bajirao Mastani.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jyotirmoy Dey</span> Indian journalist

Jyotirmoy Dey, also known as Jyotendra Dey, Commander J, and J Dey, was an Indian journalist, crime and investigations editor for Mid-Day and an expert on the Mumbai underworld. He was shot to death by motorcycle-borne sharpshooters on 11 June 2011.

Dawood Ibrahim is an Indian mob boss, drug lord, and terrorist from Dongri, Mumbai, who is wanted by the Indian government. He reportedly heads the Indian organised crime syndicate D-Company, which he founded in Mumbai in the 1970s. Ibrahim is wanted on charges including murder, extortion, targeted killing, drug trafficking, and terrorism.

<i>Byculla to Bangkok</i> 2014 nonfiction book by S. Hussain Zaidi

Byculla to Bangkok is the second non-fiction book on organised crime and terror in the modern-day Indian metropolitan city of Mumbai written by S. Hussain Zaidi. It was first published by HarperCollins in February 2014. The book is a sequel to Dongri to Dubai. Hussain completed the story that was left unfinished in his earlier book by including the story of the "local lads" of the infamous mobster Dawood Ibrahim. The book deals primarily with three of the mobsters of Mumbai: Chota Rajan, Arun Gawli and Ashwin Naik. The film adaptation is owned by Ram Gopal Varma and Red Chillies Entertainment.

<i>Dongri to Dubai: Six Decades of the Mumbai Mafia</i> Non-fiction book by Hussain Zaidi

Dongri to Dubai: Six Decades of the Mumbai Mafia is a book by former investigative journalist Hussain Zaidi published in 2012. The book traces the evolution of the Mumbai mafia from a group of thugs and smugglers to the present day mafia dons of organised crime. It traces the journey of Dawood Ibrahim from the by-lanes of Dongri where he first cut his teeth in crime, to Dubai, where he eventually established his empire.

<i>Gangubai Kathiawadi</i> 2022 biographical film directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali

Gangubai Kathiawadi is a 2022 Indian Hindi-language biographical crime drama film directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali and produced by Bhansali and Jayantilal Gada. The film stars Alia Bhatt in the title role, alongside Shantanu Maheshwari, Vijay Raaz, Indira Tiwari, Seema Pahwa, Jim Sarbh and Ajay Devgn.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gangubai Kothewali</span> Indian sex worker and social activist (died 1977)

Gangubai Harjeevandas, better known as Gangubai Kothewali or Gangubai Kathiawadi, was an Indian social activist, sex worker and madam of a brothel in the Kamathipura area of Mumbai during the 1960s. Gangubai worked for the rights of sex workers and for the well-being of orphans. She gradually ended up operating her own brothel and is known to also have lobbied for the rights of commercial sex workers.

<i>Mafia Queens of Mumbai</i> 2011 non-fiction crime novel

Mafia Queens of Mumbai: Stories of women from the ganglands is an Indian 2011 non-fiction crime novel written by Hussain Zaidi with original research by reporter Jane Borges. It tells 13 true stories of women who were involved in criminal activities in Mumbai. Rajkummar Rao, Radhika Apte and Kalki Koechlin provided their voice for its audio book for audible.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indira Tiwari</span> Indian actress

Indira Tiwari is an Indian actress. She has appeared in the films Aarakshan (2011), Nazarband (2020), Serious Men (2020), and Gangubai Kathiawadi (2022).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lucky Bisht</span> Former Indian Spy & Commando

Laxman Singh Bisht, also known as Lucky Bisht, is a NSG commando and intelligence operative. He served as a personal bodyguard to politicians such as Tarun Gogoi, L. K. Advani, Chandrababu Naidu, Rajnath Singh and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In 2009, Bisht earned the title of India's Best NSG Commando. In 2011, he faced allegations in connection with the twin murders of Raju Pargai and Amit Arya and was subsequently jailed. He was acquitted of all charges in 2018 due to insufficient evidence. Following this, he left the special forces to pursue a career in the Hindi film industry.

Chhaya Vora is an Indian television and film actress. Her works are predominantly present in Hindi and Gujarati film industries. She is the daughter-in-law of Gujarati instrumentalist Vinayakrai Vora. Vora started her career with Gujarati theatre in late 1980s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jigna Vora</span> Indian journalist

Jigna Vora is a former Indian journalist. She was falsely accused of having a connection in the murder of journalist Jyotirmoy Dey and was booked under MCOCA. Her biographical memoir Behind Bars in Byculla: My Days in Prison inspired the 2023 Netflix series Scoop. She practices tarot reading and astrology now.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kruti Mahesh</span> Indian dancer and choreographer

Kruti Mahesh Midya is an Indian dancer and choreographer known for her work in Hindi Cinema. She is a recipient of the National Film Award for Best Choreography for the song "Ghoomar" from Padmaavat (2018), together with Jyoti D.Tommar, and has received the Filmfare Award for Best Choreography for "Dholida" from Gangubai Kathiawadi (2022). Her best works are in Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (2013), ABCD 2 (2013), Bajirao Mastani (2015), A Flying Jatt (2016), Race 3 (2018), Street Dancer 3D (2019), Shyam Singha Roy (2021), and Maja Ma (2022). Terence Lewis has been her mentor since joining his team in Dance India Dance and has assisted Remo D'Souza along the way before becoming an independent choreographer.

<i>Bambai Meri Jaan</i> Indian period crime thriller TV series

Bambai Meri Jaan is an Indian Hindi-language period crime thriller television series produced under the banner of Excel Entertainment. The series stars Kay Kay Menon, Avinash Tiwary, Kritika Kamra, Nivedita Bhattacharya, and Amyra Dastur. It premiered on Amazon Prime Video.

References

  1. My Mumbai. S. Hussain Zaidi.
  2. "A Conversation With: Author and Journalist S. Hussain Zaidi". 20 July 2012.
  3. "It's a don's life". The Hindu . 17 January 2015.
  4. IANS (20 October 2020). "Painful to see journalism reduced to soap opera: S Hussain Zaidi". The National Herald. Retrieved 4 December 2020.
  5. Mukerji, Debashish (11 November 2013). "Penguin India to launch new imprint 'Blue Salt'". India Today. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  6. "Penguin India explores Bollywood with its new imprint". printweek.in. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  7. "Boss Hussain Zaidi stands by Jigna Vora | Latest News & Updates at". Dnaindia.com. 26 November 2011. Retrieved 5 February 2014.
  8. "List of articles by S. Hussain Zaidi". Indianexpress. The Indian Express Ltd. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
  9. "The People's Paper". Tehelka. 29 July 2006. Archived from the original on 11 November 2006. Retrieved 5 February 2014.
  10. "India's Independent Weekly News Magazine". Tehelka. Archived from the original on 14 October 2012. Retrieved 5 February 2014.
  11. "Amitabh Bachchan saved my life when I was kidnapped in Iraq". Archived from the original on 22 April 2015.
  12. Vyawahare, Malavika (20 July 2012). "A Conversation With: Author and Journalist S. Hussain Zaidi". The New York Times Company. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
  13. "HBO documentary Terror in Mumbai, narrated by Fareed Zakaria, debuts Nov. 19". emanuellevy.com. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
  14. "HBO: Terror in Mumbai: Synopsis". hbo.com. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
  15. "Kabir Khan to cast Saif Ali Khan in post 2611 counter terror film". ibnlive.com. Retrieved 29 April 2015.
  16. "Book review - Mumbai Avengers (Arriving as Saif-Katrina's Phantom)". Bollywood Hungama . Archived from the original on 3 June 2015.
  17. Paharia, Rashmi (1 January 2020). "Dongri to Dubai - Farhan Akhtar's Next Web Series After Inside Edge 2". Binged. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  18. "Bollywood is making a TV series based on Dawood Ibrahim's life". somethinghaute.com.
  19. "Exclusive: Farhan Akhtar-Ritesh Sidhwani to make web series on 'Dongri to Dubai' crime bestseller". peepingmoon.com/. 11 January 2019. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  20. Class of 83 , retrieved 27 July 2020
  21. "Class of 83 first look: Bobby Deol plays a dean in uniform in Shah Rukh Khan's Netflix release". Hindustan Times. 16 July 2020. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  22. Taneja, Parina (16 January 2020). "Story of Gangubai Kathiawadi, whose husband sold her at a brothel for Rs 500". indiatvnews.com. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  23. "Alia Bhatt as Madam of Kamathipura: Who was Gangubai Kathiawadi, inspiration behind Sanjay Leela Bhansali film?". DNA India. 15 January 2020. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  24. "Gangubai Kathiawadi first look: Alia Bhatt will pierce your soul as a gun-wielding brothel owner. Who was Gangubai?". Hindustan Times. 15 January 2020. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  25. "Journalist Jigna Vora's prison memoir 'Behind Bars in Byculla' to be made into a film". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  26. India-West, R. M. VIJAYAKAR/Special to. "Matchbox Pictures Acquires Rights to Jigna Vora's 'Behind Bars in Byculla'". India West. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  27. "Jigna Vora's jail ordeal to be depicted on film". Pune Mirror. 16 October 2019. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  28. Mukerji, Debashish (11 November 2013). "Penguin India to launch new imprint 'Blue Salt'". India Today. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  29. "Penguin India to launch Bollywood crime imprint". thebookseller.com. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  30. Scroll Staff (7 September 2020). "'London Confidential' trailer: Mouni Roy, Purab Kohli in spy thriller with a Chinese connection". Scroll.in. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
  31. Service, Tribune News. "London Confidential: The Chinese Conspiracy is a rather staid and slow affair". Tribuneindia News Service. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
  32. "Mouni Roy & Purab Kohli's 'London Confidential' Is An Espionage Saga Reveals S. Hussain Zaidi". Koimoi. 26 August 2020. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
  33. "Lucky Bisht - a prisoner or a patriot? Prolific writer S Hussain Zaidi delves into this dilemma in detail". Free press journal. 24 May 2022.
  34. "एस हुसैन जैदी की किताब पर बनेगी बायोपिक, दिखाई जाएगी एक्स रॉ एजेंट लकी बिष्ट की कहानी". NDTVइण्डिया.com (in Hindi). 10 May 2023.
  35. Rathore, Diwan. "Biopic of PM's former bodyguard Lucky Bisht written by Hussain Zaidi becomes the best seller book in just 3 weeks". Cineblitz. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  36. "एक्स रॉ एजेंट लकी बिष्ट की ज़िन्दगी से रूबरू होगी दुनिया, एस. हुसैन जैदी ने लिखी 'रॉ हिटमैन' बायोग्राफी". www.india.com.
  37. "Hussain Zaidi's new novel 'Eleventh Hour' a tribute to men in uniform". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  38. "Hussain Zaidi pens new novel 'The Endgame' - Times of India". The Times of India. 3 August 2020. Retrieved 4 December 2020.
  39. "Buy Zero Day Online By S. Hussain Zaidi - HarperCollins India". HarperCollins Publishers India. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
  40. R.A.W. Hitman. 4 July 2023. ISBN   978-93-92099-63-2.
  41. "Biopic of Lucky Bisht, former Personal Security Officer of PM Modi to be out soon". The Times of India. 15 June 2023. ISSN   0971-8257 . Retrieved 23 June 2023.
  42. Chaubey, Anurag. "Commandos, candour, criticism–what marked Hussain Zaidi's 'RAW Hitman' book launch in Delhi". The Print. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  43. Kashyap, Anurag (9 February 2007), Black Friday (Action, Crime, Drama, History), Kay Kay Menon, Pavan Malhotra, Aditya Srivastav, Dibyendu Bhattacharya, Mid-Day Multimedia Limited, Big Bang Pictures, Jhamu Sughand, retrieved 16 October 2020
  44. Gupta, Sanjay (1 May 2013), Shootout at Wadala (Action, Biography, Crime), Anil Kapoor, John Abraham, Manoj Bajpayee, Tusshar Kapoor, Balaji Motion Pictures, White Feather Films, retrieved 16 October 2020
  45. Khan, Kabir (28 August 2015), Phantom (Action, Drama, Thriller), Saif Ali Khan, Katrina Kaif, Sabyasachi Chakrabarty, Rajesh Tailang, Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment, UTV Motion Pictures, retrieved 16 October 2020
  46. Sabharwal, Atul (21 August 2020), Class of 83 (Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller), Bobby Deol, Anup Soni, Joy Sengupta, Hitesh Bhojraj, Netflix, Red Chillies Entertainment, retrieved 16 October 2020
  47. Lahore Confidential (2021) - IMDb , retrieved 17 February 2021
  48. "Amyra Dastur joins cast of web series 'Dongri to Dubai', that traces life of Dawood Ibrahim". The Hindu. PTI. 21 February 2020. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 16 October 2020.
  49. Bhansali, Sanjay Leela, Gangubai Kathiawadi (Biography, Crime, Drama), Indira Tiwari, Alia Bhatt, Ajay Devgn, Emraan Hashmi, Bhansali Productions, Pen Studios, retrieved 16 October 2020
  50. "Bang-bang: gangster dramas all set to fire up the silver screen!". Hindustan Times. 24 June 2020. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
  51. "Mumbai Mafia Police Vs Underworld Review: Dreadful Incidents From City's Harrowing Past Find New Perspectives". Jagran English. 7 January 2023. Retrieved 5 February 2023.
  52. Ramnath, Nandini (2 June 2023). "'Scoop' review: A flat view of a highly irregular case of police overreach". Scroll.in. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
  53. "In Scoop, a Glimpse into Indian Journalism, Both Exhilarating and Sordid". The Wire. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
  54. "Bambai Meri Jaan trailer: Kay Kay Menon, Avinash Tiwary series drops us into Mumbai underworld of the 70sBambai Meri Jaan trailer: Kay Kay Menon, Avinash Tiwary series drops us into Mumbai underworld of the 70s". The Indian Express. 4 September 2023. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  55. Mitra, Shilajit (19 January 2024). "'Indian Police Force' series review: More cops from Rohit Shetty". The Hindu. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 19 January 2024.
  56. GAHLOT, DEEPA. "Indian Police Force Review: This Is No Singham!". Rediff. Retrieved 19 January 2024.