Mafia Queens of Mumbai – S.Hussain Zaidi with Jane Borges

Mafia Queens of Mumbai is a collection of stories of 13 different women who played an important role in the Mumbai underworld. These stories are pieced from information gathered from family, aquaintances of those women and also through some official documents and reports.

It begins with the story of Jenabai Daaruwaali, a freedom-fighter who laters turns to illegal grain trade to feed her 6 young children after her husband abandons the family. She then enters into liquor business and gets into contact with underworld dons Haaji Mastan, Kareem Laala etc. She was treated with high respect both by the underworld and the police department.

Then comes the story of Gangubhai from Kamathipura who gets into prostitution much aganist her will. She turns out to be a winner here and tries to protect the rights of sex workers.


The third and the most interesting story is about Sapna Didi aka Ashraf Khan. She’s the widow of an underworld man Mehmood who gets killed in an encounter planned by Daawood Ibrahim. She decides to take revenge on Daawood unaware of how dangerous person she’s after. She’s brutally killed by Daawood’s men and her mission remains unaccomplished.

Then there are stories of Narco queens Jyothi and Mahalaxmi Papamani, Abu Salem’s lover Monica Bedi and few other women who directly or indirectly are linked with Mafia.

The first 3 stories and Monica Bedi’s episode are very well written while the other stories are too short.All these stories are real and reveal a totally different side of Mumbai’s underworld. An interesting read, I would say.

Eppudoo chadive, choose maga goondaala gurinchi kaakundaa aada goondaala gurinchi thelsukodam chaalaa baagundi