Mafia Queens of Mumbai: Stories of Women from the Ganglands Paperback – 5 March 2011

Byculla, Dongri, Sion, Nepal, Dubai and more. This is the book that has the section on Gangubai (that was recently made into the Alia Bhatt movie). This is a book from the author of Black Friday. There are other excellent stories (than Gangubai)!too - some told better than others for sure. Pappamani, Sapna didi, Jenabai Daruwali, Anita Naik and even Monica Bedi. This is a racy thriller style narration in places and autobiographical style in others - the distinct styles and the stories themselves are worth everything. The stories of South Bombay and how women from all over India and Bombay came to make this the metropolis we know makes this a must read.

Enjoyed Zaidi's uncomplicated, none too judgmental and suspenseful rendering of these striking real life 'drama queens' based on an apparently solid foundation of research.

Lack detail story of their crime or work. Tried to cover lot of characters in brief, more like a mini script.

Breaking the law takes something, which is beyond me. When you empathize with these fearless women, it's a shocking revelation how simple things in life can be difficult and carry a butterfly effect which touches everyone. How love moves mountains, how need and unstoppable will makes leaders. Given they had better lives, we might have been reading different stories about them. Zaidi is gifted, he tickles all the emotions with his simple yet brutal presentation of a difficult life and who becomes what from it. We get to see what these women are, fragile humans first, driven by love, and lust for life and the people they love. Some stories will hurt because of no closure, some will inspire. Loved and enjoyed reading this book. Putting it my re-read list.

A wonderful book on female crimelords.It's obviously well researched and written well. Most stories have an interesting plot and tale.Writing - It may seem to be a little bit of sensitization, but this may be because Hussain decided to go for this style to enhance his story telling style.Last Two Chapter - The book is good alright, but the last two chapters were a let down. It kinda of felt that Hussain was grasping for straws. Not as well researched as the previous ones, the last two chapters talk about multiple women who dabbled in crime. Few of them definitely deserved a chapter to themselves.All in all, it is a good read.

S. Hussain Zaidi, Sir, hats off to you for giving us the most realistic insights to mafia world, book after book. This is a unique book where the writer talks about lesser known women mafia. With intricate details, you just feel that you are in the world where these powerful women lived and breathed their dark lives. No wonder film-makers are attracted to these stories. While giving us details of real accounts of what happened and how, there is always a strong undercurrent of life messages that question and ponders the aspects of morality and human behavior. If you loved books like Shantaram, Black Friday, Dongri to Dubai, this is one of the better gems not to be missed.

Revealing reading.... capture the underworld of India... Know some oinfamous gang members and their lives and their transformation ...and circumstances

I always like a good crime books and this is one of them but still i feel that some women are not look like mafia as it is saying. Like gangubai kathewali , monica bedi. I don’t agree that they are mafia in any way . They are just a woman having hard time in life thats it. Otherwise book is good to read.