This is a novel I found out about after I watched one of my favourite Alia Bhatt movies: Gangubai Kathiawadi. This movie came out around the time of Alia's wedding and I have family members who were huge fans of her movies so, the second her film was available on Netflix we all crowded around the TV and watched it together (it was a great movie!). A couple of months later I discovered that the movie was adapted from a novel, specifically, it was one chapter in the book Mafia Queens of Mumbai.
So, naturally, I NEEDED the book. I loved the book enough to want to write a review on it so, though it's been a few years since the movie was released, here is my review:
'That the female of the species is deadlier than the male'
Rudyard Kipling, Chapter 6: Wives of Hindu Dons
This novel, written by a crime journalist, tells us the stories of some of the most influential female crime bosses in Mumbai's underbelly. This novel is separated into eight chapters and each of these chapters focuses on one (or a few) specific 'mafia queen'.
In the first chapter, The Wily Old Woman of Dongri, we are introduced to a woman running an illegal alcohol trade. The second chapter, The Matriarch of Kamathipura, features our dear Gangubai, whose story is immortalised in Alia Bhatt's movie. I won't say too much about this chapter but I can confirm that the film is really accurate in its adaptation of Gangubai's life.
In the third chapter, Femme Fatale, we have a woman grieving her husband's death turn to crime to avenge him and the fourth chapter, The Narco Empress, focuses on the woman in charge of a trafficking ring.
The fifth chapter, titled Mobster's Moll, tells us the story of a woman 'making the mistake' of falling in love with a gangster and how her life changed as a result.
Next is the sixth chapter, titled Wives of Hindu Dons, which narrates the story of a few of the prominent wives of powerful gang bosses. The seventh chapter, The Ganglord's Girls, also tells us about some prominent female gangsters as well.
Finally, in the last chapter, Bewitching Beauties, the lines between fame and gangs are blurred as Bollywood-level beauty manipulates influential men to her will.
So, this novel is filled with fascinating and terrifying female gangsters.
The writing style of this novel is a little bit different, some are told from the perspective of a gangster, some are told from the author's perspective, and sometimes we switch between. It's not a writing style I like, nor am I used to, but, I did find it enjoyable in this specific context. The author makes it work and it's not difficult to read this novel at all. I do want to mention that the author does admit that some details are slightly exaggerated for the purpose to make the novel more dramatic.
In terms of the women mentioned in this novel: my favourite chapters are the first and second. Something about these two women in particular captured my imagination and interest. However, all the women are brilliantly terrifying. They are all smart, skilful, cruel and deadly as their male counterparts. They thrive in a male-dominated world and they earn their own respect, followers and influence. They are truly all formidable forces and I sincerely hope I NEVER meet anyone like the women mentioned in this novel.
I know, I know, I usually gush about female villains. I always talk about how I love complex, well-written and interesting female characters. But, in this context, the women are real. They are truly horrible and while I did enjoy reading about them and find them fascinating, I don't want to make it sound as if I am romanticising them or their actions. These women (and the men that are also mentioned) are real criminals and they are not to be idolised.
Overall, this was a really interesting and somewhat educational read. I don't usually read a lot of non-fiction so I was glad to pick up this one. If you've read this novel or if you've watched Alia's movie based on Gangubai, then let me know what you think of it! I'd love to hear from you. Until next time, thank you for reading and I hope you all have a lovely day.
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