S. Hussain Zaidi

S. Hussain Zaidi
Born
Syed Hussain Zaidi

(1968-02-28) 28 February 1968
Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
OccupationNovelist, 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]

S. Hussain Zaidi is a prolific 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.

Career

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. Subsequent to a petition by a group of accused perpetrators of the bombings, the Bombay High Court stayed the release of the film until a verdict was reached in the case. 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 an associate producer of the HBO documentary Terror in Mumbai, which is based on the 26/11 attacks.[13][14]

Zaidi interviewed former Indian spy Lucky Bisht in June 2022. Bisht was accused of murder of civilians, for which he was jailed, but was later acquitted due to insufficient evidence.[15][16]

Zaidi's book R.A.W. Hitman: The Real Story of Agent Lima about the assassination of Raju Pargai and Amit Arya, is partially based on his interview with Bisht.[17][18]

Filmography

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.[19][20]

Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani of Excel Entertainment produced the web series Bambai Meri Jaan, an adaptation of Zaidi's book. The series focuses on Dawood Ibrahim's early life and the Mumbai underworld.[21][22][23]

Shah Rukh Khan's production house Red Chillies Entertainment released the Netflix film Class of '83, starring Bobby Deol and directed by Atul Sabharwal, based on Zaidi's book of the same name.[24][25]

Gangubai Kathiawadi is a 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.[26][27][28]

London Confidential: The Chinese Conspiracy is a Hindi-language spy thriller film streaming on ZEE5 since September 2020. Written by Zaidi and directed by Kanwal Sethi, it stars Mouni Roy and Purab Kohli.[29][30][31]

Zaidi mentored journalist Jigna Vora. The filming rights to her memoir Behind Bars in Byculla: My Days in Prison were acquired by Matchbox Pictures.[32][33][34]


Year Title Notes
2004 Black Friday Based on Zaidi’s book on the 1993 Bombay bombings
2013 Shootout at Wadala Inspired by events documented in Zaidi’s works
2015 Phantom Based on Mumbai Avengers
2020 Class of '83 Based on the book of the same name
London Confidential: The Chinese Conspiracy Written by Zaidi
2021 Lahore Confidential Part of the Confidential film series
Dongri to Dubai Web series adaptation
2022 Gangubai Kathiawadi Based on Mafia Queens of Mumbai
2023 Mumbai Mafia: Police vs Underworld Netflix documentary
Scoop TV series based on Jigna Vora’s memoir
Bambai Meri Jaan Crime drama web series
2024 Indian Police Force TV series
2026 O'Romeo Based on Mafia Queens of Mumbai, also story writer

Publications


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. Archived from the original on 14 April 2015. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
  14. ^ "HBO: Terror in Mumbai: Synopsis". hbo.com. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
  15. ^ "Lucky Bisht - a prisoner or a patriot? Prolific writer S Hussain Zaidi delves into this dilemma in detail". Free press journal. 24 May 2022.
  16. ^ "एस हुसैन जैदी की किताब पर बनेगी बायोपिक, दिखाई जाएगी एक्स रॉ एजेंट लकी बिष्ट की कहानी". NDTVइण्डिया.com (in Hindi). 10 May 2023.
  17. ^ 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.
  18. ^ "एक्स रॉ एजेंट लकी बिष्ट की ज़िन्दगी से रूबरू होगी दुनिया, एस. हुसैन जैदी ने लिखी 'रॉ हिटमैन' बायोग्राफी". www.india.com.
  19. ^ "Kabir Khan to cast Saif Ali Khan in post 2611 counter terror film". ibnlive.com. Retrieved 29 April 2015.
  20. ^ "Book review - Mumbai Avengers (Arriving as Saif-Katrina's Phantom)". Bollywood Hungama. Archived from the original on 3 June 2015.
  21. ^ Paharia, Rashmi (1 January 2020). "Dongri to Dubai - Farhan Akhtar's Next Web Series After Inside Edge 2". Binged. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  22. ^ "Bollywood is making a TV series based on Dawood Ibrahim's life". somethinghaute.com.
  23. ^ "Exclusive: Farhan Akhtar-Ritesh Sidhwani to make web series on 'Dongri to Dubai' crime bestseller". peepingmoon.com/. 11 January 2019. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  24. ^ Class of 83, retrieved 27 July 2020
  25. ^ "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.
  26. ^ 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.
  27. ^ "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.
  28. ^ "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.
  29. ^ 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.
  30. ^ Service, Tribune News. "London Confidential: The Chinese Conspiracy is a rather staid and slow affair". Tribuneindia News Service. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
  31. ^ "Mouni Roy & Purab Kohli's 'London Confidential' Is An Espionage Saga Reveals S. Hussain Zaidi". Koimoi. 26 August 2020. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
  32. ^ "Journalist Jigna Vora's prison memoir 'Behind Bars in Byculla' to be made into a film". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  33. ^ 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.
  34. ^ "Jigna Vora's jail ordeal to be depicted on film". Pune Mirror. 16 October 2019. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  35. ^ "Hussain Zaidi's new novel 'Eleventh Hour' a tribute to men in uniform". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  36. ^ "Hussain Zaidi pens new novel 'The Endgame' - Times of India". The Times of India. 3 August 2020. Retrieved 4 December 2020.
  37. ^ "Buy Zero Day Online By S. Hussain Zaidi - HarperCollins India". HarperCollins Publishers India. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
  38. ^ R.A.W. Hitman. 4 July 2023. ISBN 978-93-92099-63-2.
  39. ^ "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.
  40. ^ Chaubey, Anurag. "Commandos, candour, criticism–what marked Hussain Zaidi's 'RAW Hitman' book launch in Delhi". The Print. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
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