Achieve Godfathers Of Crime: Face To Face With Indias Most Wanted Formulated By Sheela Raval Ebook

read for those not familiar with Mumbai's underworld, My only complaint is that the author didn't follow chronology,preferring the climax in the beginning and only later explaining gangster's early lives.
The author has been an investigative journalist and her indepth knowledge, coverage and presentation of incidents and facts is quite interesting.
Approaching

the significant events of underworld and laying them bare, she chose a neutral yet decisive tone, The books does open to a slow start with a lot written about the author and her journey but once she opens the pandora's box you can't get enough of it.
Lined with anecdotes and detailed analysis and description of events and individuals, this book is a treat for the curious and a wonderful outcome of the author's years of hardwork.
Before this book was written, Byculla to Bangkok by S, Hussain Zaidi was probably the only book available on Maharashtrian mobsters, Godfathers of Crime can be called an extension of Zaidi's book, though i would rate this one higher, Though the book is based on Mumbai dons, it can also be termed as a sort of resume for Sheela Raval, since it covers almost all the major stories she has done during her journalism career.
Readers of this genre would love this book since it mentions some incidents which are exclusive like Dawood's presence during his daughter's marriage, Chhota Rajan's escape from Bangkok hospital, how and why he fell apart from Sharad Shetty etc.
Most of the stories are already covered for Raval's past and present employers in visual media, but getting all of them together in print is definitely quite tempting.
Not written in the style of Husain Zaidi's books on Mumbai mafia, but interesting read, nevertheless, OMG ! One more book on the Mumbai gang lords, There seem to be more books published on Dawood Bhai and his friends than on other people who have achieved so much more in their chosen line of pursuit in Indiabe it Sachin Tendulkar or Shah Rukh Khan or Narendra Modi for that matter.
Whether this exposes Indias reading habits or my own misplaced fascination with the Mumbai underworld, I am not too sure.


Sheela Rawal is a pro as far as reporting on the underworld is concerned, Sheela, who is originally from the Gujarati media, moved over to the English press later on and wrote with distinction on the Mumbai warlords in thes.
Later, she moved to Star News and anchored some pretty popular series on crime, Unlike Hussain Zaidi the original chronicler on Mumbai crime, she was a more popular and known face as she anchored a show on television.
And her ability to reach out to these dons and get their point of view gives her extra notch of credibility compared to Zaidi.


The stories are the same, The fading of the gentlemen Dons that is what Haji Mastan, Varadarajan Mudaliar and Karim Lala are now collectively referred to in the pasttense.
and the rise and rise of Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar and his multiple assorted associates some who are dead Iqbal Mirchi, some still with him Chota Shakeel and some who jumped ship and started out on their own Abu Salem and the assorted Hindu Donslike the Naik brothers, Gawli et al.
are paraded thru the book,

The rest of the book also is the same stories with a different spinthe global operations of Dawood, his henchmen, his brothers and family, of members being shot deadand some more being shot dead in retaliation, of gangsters shot dead in hospital wards and in subdivisional courts, the split between Dawood and Rajan due to thebomb blasts, Rajans escape, some spin on the Hindu dons v/s Muslim Dons, emergence of Santosh Shetty.


One understated theme is the fascination with the film world that the dons have, more so between the Bollywood heroines and the Bombay bad boys, Haji Mastan had a thing or two for a yester year heroine, Iqbal Mirchi married Heena Kausar daughter of KA Asif and no less, Dawood sired a child thru Mandakini, Abu Salem married / had a relationship with Monica Bedi depending on whether it is Salem or Monica who is relating it to you and countless other actresses who were known to be molls, girlfriends and onenightstands with the underworld.
Their threatening of actors, varnishing their black money thru Eastman color films and financing of films is old hat and gets its due mention in the book.


A new perspective that seems to be coming outboth in this book and Neeraj Kumars book is that there is more to the Mumbai blasts than Dawood, Tiger and Company.
. While it is being hinted at neither of the books pursues it more seriously and gets to the bottom of it.
There seems to be more ISI / Pakistan in this than what we all seem to be thinking and possibly a sensational book by one of the more enterprising authors is on its way on this line of thought.


Whatever one might say about these Dons and their activities, which need to be condemned we have to appreciate or be amused their imagination and sense of humor in the way they are all nicknamedSalim Kurla, Chota Rajan, Iqbal Mirchi, Suleman Langda.
. AND THE LIST GOES ON,
Sheela Rawals ability to get behind the scenes, talk to the principal players is what makes the book interestingthough the actors have been done to death in multiple books published on them.


Whether it is her long conversations with Iqbal Mirchi in UK who died recently, her presence at Dawoods daughters Walima at the Hyatt in Dubai, her exclusive teteatetes with Samira Jumani wife of Abu Salem, her conversations with Amar Naik he is one of the few educated Donshe passes of as an Engineerthough he is only a Diploma holder and Amar Gawli.
. her regular phone calls with Chota Shakeel the consiglieri of Dawood the book throws some new light on the old actors.
if you are fascinated by Mumbai crimelike I am, go read this book.

An enjoyable book,
book shows us those never heard stories of mafia dons we all know, The first chapter is interesting and fast paced, my fav part remains on the chota rajan escape, the book is well researched, . a good book for anyone who wants to know more on Mumbai's infamous mafia history What a fearless journalist! What a fascinating book! I picked up this book in an airport bookstore only because I had Misplaced my kindle.
The expectations were low since the topic itself attracts more masala than analysis /facts, As expected the book is filled with crazy nuggets of information which is bound to interest an underworld Mafia genre fan like me.
However the attempt to portrait all the dons' lives in a chapter format falls a little short of holding our attention.
Most of the research or references seems to only rely on her past interviews /experiences rather than actual documental evidences and there is very little analysis as to why certain things panned out the way it did.
Maybe the author doesn't want to give us a tell all tale for the fear of losing her golden egg laying contacts.
Overall an average one time read, This is the account of a crime reporter's interactions with the mumbai mafia's biggest names, The amount of the efforts put in by the author to find out the other side of the stories and her perseverance in following the story to the end stand out in this book.
One issue I had with this book is that the events jump back and fourth in time which make it difficult to keep track of the chronology.

It's a good, crisp work that serves as an introduction to the lives of the gangsters who started out small but have grown to huge international disrepute.
It is a gripping narrative of a crime journalist going about her job to report Mumbai's underworld, Makes for a fascinating read, and the length of the book keeps the interest piqued, A good choice for nonfiction lovers, Quite engrossing but only hints at some big issues, A more detailed review soon The book is wonderfully paced, I think whilst a lot of the events or incidences are well drafted, a large part of these are in public forum via the news or media.
However the reception of the Karachi based don, the Bangkok firing and attempt and a few other things around Arun Gawli and others intrigued me to know more about them.


I think the author had been very careful not to upset any one vide this book, So although interesting the revelations are carefully worded, I think it gives a good history and background of underworld and the changed dynamics of it over a period of time.


What would be interesting to know from the other is a newer version of this post arrest of Rajan and as claimed the Karachi based Don's retirement.
On a overall a good Read,

Main Shakeel Bhai bol raha hoon, Farmaiyen, Sheelaji!
Among the first female journalists in India to investigate crime and
the underworld, Sheela Raval has had an eventful threedecadelong
career in print media and television that has seen her track Indias
most notorious criminals across different parts of the globe.
Always
hot on the trail of a story, Raval broke the news about Chhota Rajan
surviving a brutal assassination attempt in Bangkok in, attended
Dawood Ibrahims daughters wedding in Dubai and is the only person
to have interviewed Samira Jumani, noted gangster Abu Salems first
wife, after Salems arrest and extradition.

Now, in a candid memoir of fearless reportage, Raval recounts her
interactions with the muchfeared dons, and the revelations they
brought forth about the intricate workings of organized crime within
Indian borders and beyond.
Ravals bold writing gives fresh and sofar
unpublished insight into the D Companys evolution as a criminal
organization with transnational influence and connections with
foreign governments the muchtalkedabout split between Dawood
and Chhota Rajan a oncepromising cricketer who became one of
Mumbais mostfeared dons the Abu SalemMonica Bedi affair and
the circumstances that led her to appear as a state witness in the highprofile
case against film producer Bharat Shah and Chhota Shakeel.

Chilling and revelatory, Ravals stories provide a fascinating glimpse
into the minds of organized criminals who have long haunted Indias
security forces.
Godfathers of Crime is a chronicle of men who have
lived outside the boundaries of the law for most of their lives, told
through the personal experiences of an intrepid journalist.
.