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From Dubai to Karachi: The Dawood Saga Continues
‘Who is bigger than the King?’
Dawood Ibrahim went undercover after the serial blasts of 12 March 1993 in Mumbai. Nobody knew how he had managed to escape from India while his D Company had proven links to the blasts. Yakub Memon was subsequently executed, resulting in the bloody split of the Mumbai Mafia.
What happened to Dawood Ibrahim then? Where is he now? As these questions began to surround, S. Hussain Zaidi’s riveting investigation led to Karachi, where Dawood is now the Kingmaker. Fiercely protected and valiantly denied by the Pakistani government, he has come to become the protector of the country’s dwindling economy and tumultuous polity. Yet, Dawood Ibrahim remains untouched by either of the governments across the Line of Control.
From the lanes of Dongri to becoming world’s most wanted fugitive and a powerbroker for the Pakistani government, Dawood has come a long way. Thrilling and jaw dropping, From Dubai to Karachi is a much-awaited sequel to Black Friday, uncovering his last thirty years as S. Hussain Zaidi pens a definitive end to the Dawood saga.
Dawood Ibrahim went undercover after the serial blasts of 12 March 1993 in Mumbai. Nobody knew how he had managed to escape from India while his D Company had proven links to the blasts. Yakub Memon was subsequently executed, resulting in the bloody split of the Mumbai Mafia.
What happened to Dawood Ibrahim then? Where is he now? As these questions began to surround, S. Hussain Zaidi’s riveting investigation led to Karachi, where Dawood is now the Kingmaker. Fiercely protected and valiantly denied by the Pakistani government, he has come to become the protector of the country’s dwindling economy and tumultuous polity. Yet, Dawood Ibrahim remains untouched by either of the governments across the Line of Control.
From the lanes of Dongri to becoming world’s most wanted fugitive and a powerbroker for the Pakistani government, Dawood has come a long way. Thrilling and jaw dropping, From Dubai to Karachi is a much-awaited sequel to Black Friday, uncovering his last thirty years as S. Hussain Zaidi pens a definitive end to the Dawood saga.
- GenresCrime
504 pages, Paperback
Published August 12, 2025
About the author
S. Hussain Zaidi
25 books575 followersS. Hussain Zaidi is a prominent Indian author, journalist, and screenwriter celebrated for his invaluable contributions to the world of crime reporting, investigative journalism, and storytelling. Born on February 28, 1962, in Mumbai, India, Zaidi has left an indelible mark on the literary and cinematic landscapes of India, particularly in the realm of crime and the Mumbai underworld.
S. Hussain Zaidi embarked on his career as a crime reporter, where he honed his skills in uncovering hidden truths and delving into the intricacies of organized crime in Mumbai. His early experiences as a journalist provided him with a deep understanding of the criminal world and its dynamics.
Over the years, Zaidi transitioned from journalism to writing and screenwriting, bringing his unparalleled insights and storytelling prowess to a wider audience. His unique ability to humanize the characters in his narratives, whether they are criminals or law enforcement officers, sets his work apart.
"Black Friday: The True Story of the Bombay Bomb Blasts" - Zaidi's book "Black Friday" is a compelling account of the 1993 Bombay bombings. It presents a factual and thorough examination of the events leading up to the blasts and their aftermath.
"Dongri to Dubai: Six Decades of the Mumbai Mafia" - This critically acclaimed book stands as one of Zaidi's most notable works. It meticulously traces the evolution of organized crime in Mumbai over six decades. The book offers a comprehensive and gripping account of the city's criminal history.
"Mafia Queens of Mumbai: Stories of Women from the Ganglands" - In this compelling book, Zaidi sheds light on the powerful and enigmatic women who played significant roles in Mumbai's underworld. He tells their stories with empathy and detail, providing a fresh perspective on the world of crime.
S. Hussain Zaidi's influential literary works have transcended the confines of the written word and made a powerful impact on the silver screen. Some noteworthy adaptations of his books include:
"Black Friday" (2007) - Directed by Anurag Kashyap.
"Shootout at Wadala" (2013) - Directed by Sanjay Gupta.
"Class of '83" (2020) - Directed by Atul Sabharwal.
"Gangubai Kathiawadi" (2022) - Directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, among many others.
In addition to his contributions to the film industry, S. Hussain Zaidi has harnessed his creative prowess in the realm of film and web series production. His noteworthy productions encompass projects like "Bard of Blood" and "Scoop" on Netflix, as well as the recent addition "Bambai Meri Jaan," available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
S. Hussain Zaidi has played a pivotal role in nurturing emerging literary talents within the authorship realm. Notably, individuals such as Bilal Siddique, Neeraj Kumar (Commissioner of Delhi Police), Kashif Mashaikh, and many more have found their path to success as authors under his guidance. This mentoring initiative is facilitated through "Blue Salt Media," an imprint in collaboration with Penguin India.
S. Hussain Zaidi's work, both in literature and cinema, continues to captivate audiences with its gritty realism, engaging storytelling, and insights into the complex world of crime and law enforcement in India. His contributions have not only enriched the true crime genre but have also served as a source of inspiration for aspiring writers, journalists, and filmmakers.
S. Hussain Zaidi embarked on his career as a crime reporter, where he honed his skills in uncovering hidden truths and delving into the intricacies of organized crime in Mumbai. His early experiences as a journalist provided him with a deep understanding of the criminal world and its dynamics.
Over the years, Zaidi transitioned from journalism to writing and screenwriting, bringing his unparalleled insights and storytelling prowess to a wider audience. His unique ability to humanize the characters in his narratives, whether they are criminals or law enforcement officers, sets his work apart.
"Black Friday: The True Story of the Bombay Bomb Blasts" - Zaidi's book "Black Friday" is a compelling account of the 1993 Bombay bombings. It presents a factual and thorough examination of the events leading up to the blasts and their aftermath.
"Dongri to Dubai: Six Decades of the Mumbai Mafia" - This critically acclaimed book stands as one of Zaidi's most notable works. It meticulously traces the evolution of organized crime in Mumbai over six decades. The book offers a comprehensive and gripping account of the city's criminal history.
"Mafia Queens of Mumbai: Stories of Women from the Ganglands" - In this compelling book, Zaidi sheds light on the powerful and enigmatic women who played significant roles in Mumbai's underworld. He tells their stories with empathy and detail, providing a fresh perspective on the world of crime.
S. Hussain Zaidi's influential literary works have transcended the confines of the written word and made a powerful impact on the silver screen. Some noteworthy adaptations of his books include:
"Black Friday" (2007) - Directed by Anurag Kashyap.
"Shootout at Wadala" (2013) - Directed by Sanjay Gupta.
"Class of '83" (2020) - Directed by Atul Sabharwal.
"Gangubai Kathiawadi" (2022) - Directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, among many others.
In addition to his contributions to the film industry, S. Hussain Zaidi has harnessed his creative prowess in the realm of film and web series production. His noteworthy productions encompass projects like "Bard of Blood" and "Scoop" on Netflix, as well as the recent addition "Bambai Meri Jaan," available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
S. Hussain Zaidi has played a pivotal role in nurturing emerging literary talents within the authorship realm. Notably, individuals such as Bilal Siddique, Neeraj Kumar (Commissioner of Delhi Police), Kashif Mashaikh, and many more have found their path to success as authors under his guidance. This mentoring initiative is facilitated through "Blue Salt Media," an imprint in collaboration with Penguin India.
S. Hussain Zaidi's work, both in literature and cinema, continues to captivate audiences with its gritty realism, engaging storytelling, and insights into the complex world of crime and law enforcement in India. His contributions have not only enriched the true crime genre but have also served as a source of inspiration for aspiring writers, journalists, and filmmakers.
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January 6, 2025A riveting read from the evergreen S. Hussain Zaidi. Covering multiple intertwined aspects of the Mumbai underworld and the populace of Mumbai now. His exceptional storytelling and visualization leaves any reader asking for more.
January 28, 2025
This is a bunch of stories about bunch of small time gangsters and nothing to do with the title.
Though the short stories are interesting, they are incomplete and incoherent.
Though the short stories are interesting, they are incomplete and incoherent.
June 13, 2025
By far the worst book by Mr. hussain zaidi. i have been a great fan of his work but this book is way below all his previous books.
Firstly book has no relation to the title and it is just a motley collection of anecdotes and stories about Mumbai mafia.
The start of the book promises to be path breaking and sensational but soon just completely diverges from it.
Furthermore the stories and anecdotes from Mumbai mafia are of the middle to low range small time gangsters with no coherence, chronology or synchronisation.
Book just jumps from one gangster to another with no relation whatsoever from each other. Also same fact or incident is sometimes repeated multiple times.
Also a lot of time the book is just telling. about how Mr. Hussain collected this information which further removes the coherence from the story telling.
In short this is not worth reading.
Firstly book has no relation to the title and it is just a motley collection of anecdotes and stories about Mumbai mafia.
The start of the book promises to be path breaking and sensational but soon just completely diverges from it.
Furthermore the stories and anecdotes from Mumbai mafia are of the middle to low range small time gangsters with no coherence, chronology or synchronisation.
Book just jumps from one gangster to another with no relation whatsoever from each other. Also same fact or incident is sometimes repeated multiple times.
Also a lot of time the book is just telling. about how Mr. Hussain collected this information which further removes the coherence from the story telling.
In short this is not worth reading.
June 3, 2025
I would actually give this a 3.5/5 but definitely not worth a 4.
I have been reading Hussain Zaidi's books since 2008, when I first picked up Black Friday at Crossword Mahalaxmi and devoured it in one weekend. Since then I have periodically read one book of his every few years. This book is his fifth book I am reading and after Ramachandra Guha, Zaidi is the second author on my read list. My point in writing this is to underscore the high expectations I had from the book and how thoroughly disappointed I am by what might be his most mediocre and confusing book.
Firstly, the title itself is wildly off. While the book begins with Karachi and covers some new material on local and national Pakistani politics, but it veers erratically between Dubai, Mumbai, India, other parts of the world, and Karachi makes a few guest appearances most of which are front-loaded. I believe the scope of the book to write a sequel to Black Friday AND D2D in one attempt is massive and makes the narrative unwieldy. What it has ended up are a series of chapters written on multiple minor storylines, which are not entirely tied together and neither spins a linear/sequential narrative on the journey between the two cities.
While yes, Zaidi has covered a lot of new material and it seems well researched based on primary interviews through his gargantuan network, it lacks coherence. Zaidi shines in parts, and I particularly enjoyed the sub-storylines on Yaqub Memon and Aditya Pancholi, but this book would have been much better set-up with 4-5 sub-sections akin to Mafia Queens of Mumbai rather than the confused continuity offered to the reader in this format.
The editing is very, very poor to say the least, one not expected from a seasoned writer like Zaidi. Typos and a few date errors aside, one can clearly see content from one chapter repeated in the next because perhaps each was written originally as a discrete newspaper or magazine article, now just concatenated to add pages to the book.
Content-wise, this book would have been richer had Badshah Khan (the character played by Aditya Srivastava in Black Friday) was given more airtime and his experience in Pakistan better fleshed out. Ideally, some of the chapters could have been cut down but if the current stack had to be kept, a better ending would have been an analytical essay by Zaidi synthesising these various discrete threads which he floated. The reader swerves characters, locations and even timelines with almost no organic transitions. A final essay with The Word of the master journalist would have helped salvage this confused but detailed book.
While in the past I have loved Zaidi's books and this has biased me to not rate this lower than 3 but I will pause washing the dirty linen here. Crime in Bombay, exploitation and brainwashing of Muslim youth especially in India are topics close to my heart and have driven some of my core life experiences as well. Hence I will still give this a 3, which is wrested out by the reverence a younger Dakshesh had for Zaidi.
I actually will not recommend this book to anyone, unless you are super keen on reading about crime in India and already have sufficient context to digest an advanced edition which offers depth and us not meant for an uninitiated reader.
Perhaps my preference in books has changed and its hard for me to accept that I liked books earlier which might not be great, but one only reaches that maturity by reading more. Pick this one up with great caution!
I have been reading Hussain Zaidi's books since 2008, when I first picked up Black Friday at Crossword Mahalaxmi and devoured it in one weekend. Since then I have periodically read one book of his every few years. This book is his fifth book I am reading and after Ramachandra Guha, Zaidi is the second author on my read list. My point in writing this is to underscore the high expectations I had from the book and how thoroughly disappointed I am by what might be his most mediocre and confusing book.
Firstly, the title itself is wildly off. While the book begins with Karachi and covers some new material on local and national Pakistani politics, but it veers erratically between Dubai, Mumbai, India, other parts of the world, and Karachi makes a few guest appearances most of which are front-loaded. I believe the scope of the book to write a sequel to Black Friday AND D2D in one attempt is massive and makes the narrative unwieldy. What it has ended up are a series of chapters written on multiple minor storylines, which are not entirely tied together and neither spins a linear/sequential narrative on the journey between the two cities.
While yes, Zaidi has covered a lot of new material and it seems well researched based on primary interviews through his gargantuan network, it lacks coherence. Zaidi shines in parts, and I particularly enjoyed the sub-storylines on Yaqub Memon and Aditya Pancholi, but this book would have been much better set-up with 4-5 sub-sections akin to Mafia Queens of Mumbai rather than the confused continuity offered to the reader in this format.
The editing is very, very poor to say the least, one not expected from a seasoned writer like Zaidi. Typos and a few date errors aside, one can clearly see content from one chapter repeated in the next because perhaps each was written originally as a discrete newspaper or magazine article, now just concatenated to add pages to the book.
Content-wise, this book would have been richer had Badshah Khan (the character played by Aditya Srivastava in Black Friday) was given more airtime and his experience in Pakistan better fleshed out. Ideally, some of the chapters could have been cut down but if the current stack had to be kept, a better ending would have been an analytical essay by Zaidi synthesising these various discrete threads which he floated. The reader swerves characters, locations and even timelines with almost no organic transitions. A final essay with The Word of the master journalist would have helped salvage this confused but detailed book.
While in the past I have loved Zaidi's books and this has biased me to not rate this lower than 3 but I will pause washing the dirty linen here. Crime in Bombay, exploitation and brainwashing of Muslim youth especially in India are topics close to my heart and have driven some of my core life experiences as well. Hence I will still give this a 3, which is wrested out by the reverence a younger Dakshesh had for Zaidi.
I actually will not recommend this book to anyone, unless you are super keen on reading about crime in India and already have sufficient context to digest an advanced edition which offers depth and us not meant for an uninitiated reader.
Perhaps my preference in books has changed and its hard for me to accept that I liked books earlier which might not be great, but one only reaches that maturity by reading more. Pick this one up with great caution!
July 22, 2025
When a book is written about someone who has been in the public eye for decades and widely written about sometimes by the author himself, one has some hesitation in reading it. What will the book cover that we don’t already?
As it turns out, this book covers a lot!
It talks at length about the way Dawood Ibrahim controlled the political system in Pakistan including Imran Khan becoming Prime Minister, Asif Zardari becoming President, Zardari’s role in the death of Benazir Bhutto and her brother Murtaza Bhutto etc. That said, the argument used that the Stockholm syndrome where the hostages develop a positive bond with their captors was the reason why Pakistan would never handover Dawood Ibrahim was I thought a bit far fetched
The book shows that the main reason that Dawood Ibrahim was the last man standing or should we say the last gangster standing was a combination of his coldblooded ruthlessness and his sophistication in managing money. While the likes of Haji Mastan would eschew violent means when it came to dealing with their opponents unless as a last resort, Dawood had no such qualms. He was absolutely brutal in that regard.
Also, the way he used financial whiz-kids and the film industry’s need for financing to whiten his money is worth reading. It, for example, talks about his relationship with an obscure Pakistani actress – Mehwish Hayat and how he used that to channel funds to the UK and whiten it.
The Mumbai blasts of 1993 forms the backbone of the book because not only was Dawood Ibrahim directly responsible for it, but it also but made him persona non grata across India. Prior to that, he was often seen in Sharjah hobnobbing with famous India personalities and of course funding lots of Bollywood films
Another area where the book really scores is the way it covers the ‘legends’ of yore. People like Karim Lala, Haji Mastan, Varadarajan Mudaliar, Chhota Rajan etc. are spoken about very often in depth. In fact, an entire chapter is devoted to Haji Mastan which makes very interesting reading.
And it does more than adequate justice to the other side, viz the famous policemen who investigated the Mumbai blasts. Neeraj Kumar and Rakesh Maria.
There are some life stories and events it covers which really stand out. The relationship of Shahida and Manish Lala, Dawood Ibrahim’s ‘law minister’ which ends in heartbreak for her when he got shot dead and the transformation of Bhindi Bazar by the Saifee Burhani Upliftment Project are two that are worth mentioning.
The only negative is the flattering coverage of Aditya Pancholi and his portrayal as a do-gooder. That I thought could have been toned down.
And surprisingly, while Mandakini does feature in the book, her relationship with Dawood Ibrahim does not.
All in all, an excellent book where the writer uses a combination of his writing skills, his deep All research and his years of experience in writing on the subject to provide a deep and insightful coverage
As it turns out, this book covers a lot!
It talks at length about the way Dawood Ibrahim controlled the political system in Pakistan including Imran Khan becoming Prime Minister, Asif Zardari becoming President, Zardari’s role in the death of Benazir Bhutto and her brother Murtaza Bhutto etc. That said, the argument used that the Stockholm syndrome where the hostages develop a positive bond with their captors was the reason why Pakistan would never handover Dawood Ibrahim was I thought a bit far fetched
The book shows that the main reason that Dawood Ibrahim was the last man standing or should we say the last gangster standing was a combination of his coldblooded ruthlessness and his sophistication in managing money. While the likes of Haji Mastan would eschew violent means when it came to dealing with their opponents unless as a last resort, Dawood had no such qualms. He was absolutely brutal in that regard.
Also, the way he used financial whiz-kids and the film industry’s need for financing to whiten his money is worth reading. It, for example, talks about his relationship with an obscure Pakistani actress – Mehwish Hayat and how he used that to channel funds to the UK and whiten it.
The Mumbai blasts of 1993 forms the backbone of the book because not only was Dawood Ibrahim directly responsible for it, but it also but made him persona non grata across India. Prior to that, he was often seen in Sharjah hobnobbing with famous India personalities and of course funding lots of Bollywood films
Another area where the book really scores is the way it covers the ‘legends’ of yore. People like Karim Lala, Haji Mastan, Varadarajan Mudaliar, Chhota Rajan etc. are spoken about very often in depth. In fact, an entire chapter is devoted to Haji Mastan which makes very interesting reading.
And it does more than adequate justice to the other side, viz the famous policemen who investigated the Mumbai blasts. Neeraj Kumar and Rakesh Maria.
There are some life stories and events it covers which really stand out. The relationship of Shahida and Manish Lala, Dawood Ibrahim’s ‘law minister’ which ends in heartbreak for her when he got shot dead and the transformation of Bhindi Bazar by the Saifee Burhani Upliftment Project are two that are worth mentioning.
The only negative is the flattering coverage of Aditya Pancholi and his portrayal as a do-gooder. That I thought could have been toned down.
And surprisingly, while Mandakini does feature in the book, her relationship with Dawood Ibrahim does not.
All in all, an excellent book where the writer uses a combination of his writing skills, his deep All research and his years of experience in writing on the subject to provide a deep and insightful coverage
May 6, 2026
The book has a tag line, " The Dawood Saga Continues "
And you'd assume, Since Dongri to Dubai was about Dawood's rise and reign.
Dubai to Karachi would be about his downfall, the reduction in power and influence and the latest news.
But it is shamelessly just retelling Dawood's origins, black Friday, Haji mastan and India's escobar. Something already mentioned in previous books like Dongri to Dubai, My name is Abu Salem, Dawood's mentor, Byculla to Bangkok and Black Friday.
It's a good book if you have no context, but if you have read Zaidi's previous books, there's nothing new here, all the new information takes around 40 pages, he talks about Pakistani politics and Dawood's supposed relation with Zulfiqar Bhutto and Mehvish Hayat in the beginning... the rest of the 420 pages are just new stories of Aditya Pancholi and lives of few gangsters and just everything already mentioned in the previous books. I don't wanna hear about JJ Shootout, Pathan gang war, Chota Rajan and Tiger Memon, I've already read more than enough about them. Tell me about his Food poisoning, the rumors of him getting bedridden, his latest information, how was that no moustache look of him photographed and gone viral, and if you don't have such information, then don't write a book, and if you wanna write a book, don't sell it as a conclusion to your Dawood Ibrahim trilogy.
This was a shameless Cashgrab towards Zaidi's long time fans.
And you'd assume, Since Dongri to Dubai was about Dawood's rise and reign.
Dubai to Karachi would be about his downfall, the reduction in power and influence and the latest news.
But it is shamelessly just retelling Dawood's origins, black Friday, Haji mastan and India's escobar. Something already mentioned in previous books like Dongri to Dubai, My name is Abu Salem, Dawood's mentor, Byculla to Bangkok and Black Friday.
It's a good book if you have no context, but if you have read Zaidi's previous books, there's nothing new here, all the new information takes around 40 pages, he talks about Pakistani politics and Dawood's supposed relation with Zulfiqar Bhutto and Mehvish Hayat in the beginning... the rest of the 420 pages are just new stories of Aditya Pancholi and lives of few gangsters and just everything already mentioned in the previous books. I don't wanna hear about JJ Shootout, Pathan gang war, Chota Rajan and Tiger Memon, I've already read more than enough about them. Tell me about his Food poisoning, the rumors of him getting bedridden, his latest information, how was that no moustache look of him photographed and gone viral, and if you don't have such information, then don't write a book, and if you wanna write a book, don't sell it as a conclusion to your Dawood Ibrahim trilogy.
This was a shameless Cashgrab towards Zaidi's long time fans.
April 8, 2025
📚 BOOK REVIEW
From Dubai to Karachi: The Dawood Saga Continues
by S. Hussain Zaidi
From Dubai to Karachi: The Dawood Saga Continues is written by S. Hussain Zaidi. We get a chance to glance into the life of Dawood Ibrahim, how he evolved from a small gangser from Dongri Mumbai to a powerful figure in Karachi. He left India after the Bombay serial bomb blasts in 1993. We read in depth about his family, friends, close associates, friends who turned into his enemy after the blasts. We also get to witness the heavy influence of Underworld on bollywood movies and those linked with the film industry .
The engaging narrative makes the reading experience more enjoyable. It is a well-written and well researched book which is a result of Zaidi's investigation and hard work. This book is a non fiction but I felt the plot opening up one after another in front of my eyes. The author has sketched the life of the don and his close acquaintances beautifully. His journey from Bombay to Dubai untill he found solace in Karachi with the support of the Pakistani government.
The book ends with highlighting Dawood Ibrahim as the key kingmaker in shaping the political and economic of Pakistan. I had a different experience reading this book. After all these years I was able to join the dots regarding the Underworld. Worth investing your time if you are curious enough.
From Dubai to Karachi: The Dawood Saga Continues
by S. Hussain Zaidi
From Dubai to Karachi: The Dawood Saga Continues is written by S. Hussain Zaidi. We get a chance to glance into the life of Dawood Ibrahim, how he evolved from a small gangser from Dongri Mumbai to a powerful figure in Karachi. He left India after the Bombay serial bomb blasts in 1993. We read in depth about his family, friends, close associates, friends who turned into his enemy after the blasts. We also get to witness the heavy influence of Underworld on bollywood movies and those linked with the film industry .
The engaging narrative makes the reading experience more enjoyable. It is a well-written and well researched book which is a result of Zaidi's investigation and hard work. This book is a non fiction but I felt the plot opening up one after another in front of my eyes. The author has sketched the life of the don and his close acquaintances beautifully. His journey from Bombay to Dubai untill he found solace in Karachi with the support of the Pakistani government.
The book ends with highlighting Dawood Ibrahim as the key kingmaker in shaping the political and economic of Pakistan. I had a different experience reading this book. After all these years I was able to join the dots regarding the Underworld. Worth investing your time if you are curious enough.
March 14, 2025
This book is a thrilling investigation into the life of Dawood Ibrahim, one of India's most wanted fugitives.
The book is a sequel to Zaidi's earlier work, "Black Friday", and provides a definitive end to the Dawood saga.
Zaidi's masterful storytelling takes us on a journey from the lanes of Dongri to the power corridors of Karachi, where Dawood has become a kingmaker.
What's fascinating is how Zaidi has managed to piece together the last thirty years of Dawood's life, despite the Pakistani government's denials and protection.
As I turned the pages, I was struck by the sheer scale of Dawood's operations and his ability to evade capture. Zaidi's writing is crisp and engaging, making it easy to follow the complex web of events and characters.I liked the episodes, from Dawood's escape from India to his rise as a powerbroker in Pakistan.
What's equally fascinating is the insight into the inner workings of the Pakistani government and its relationship with Dawood. Zaidi's investigation raises uncomfortable questions about the complicity of governments and the blurred lines between good and evil.
Though this did felt bit dragged compared to last books by him.
If you're interested in true crime, politics, or just a darn good story, this book is a must-read.
March 2, 2025
The sequel to Black Friday, From Dubai to Karachi is all about the small and big names of the underworld. The several anecdotes about the gangsters are interesting if one reads them as individual stories, but trying to find the relationship between them can be difficult.
What actually made this book a little difficult to explain is the number of characters. The incoherence of their past made them not so easy to crack into. I started reading the book with the anticipation of the knowledge about Dawood, but it has disappointed me, as there is very little and absolutely irrelevant information about him. The title is misleading as I couldn't find much that talks about Dawood's unmatched power to control the politics of the neighboring countries.
Overall the writing is a downer too. S Hussain Zaidi might be a known name in journalism as his writing is informative regarding the smaller names in the underworld, but he lacks the charm of storytelling. I have found his writing drab and nongermane.
Thank you PenguinIndia for the copy
What actually made this book a little difficult to explain is the number of characters. The incoherence of their past made them not so easy to crack into. I started reading the book with the anticipation of the knowledge about Dawood, but it has disappointed me, as there is very little and absolutely irrelevant information about him. The title is misleading as I couldn't find much that talks about Dawood's unmatched power to control the politics of the neighboring countries.
Overall the writing is a downer too. S Hussain Zaidi might be a known name in journalism as his writing is informative regarding the smaller names in the underworld, but he lacks the charm of storytelling. I have found his writing drab and nongermane.
Thank you PenguinIndia for the copy
April 10, 2025
DUBAI TO KARACHI - S. HUSSAIN ZAIDI
From Dubai to Karachi is a thrilling recount of the most wanted Don - Dawood Ibrahim's last 30 years as he is believed to have settled in Pakistan where he has come to become the protector of the country's dwindling economy and tumultuous politics.
We do see chapters from various important people directly or indirectly connected to him in the lead up to Dawood's story. I was interested in knowing more about his operations but the information based on the title of the book was slightly misleading.
Nonetheless I gained a lot of interesting perspectives on politics in Pakistan and stories of smaller gangsters.
Zaidi has a knack of storytelling which makes reading political facts also interesting and engaging.
So if you are looking to read a crime thriller or are interested in reading about the politics of a country then check out Dubai to Karachi.
From Dubai to Karachi is a thrilling recount of the most wanted Don - Dawood Ibrahim's last 30 years as he is believed to have settled in Pakistan where he has come to become the protector of the country's dwindling economy and tumultuous politics.
We do see chapters from various important people directly or indirectly connected to him in the lead up to Dawood's story. I was interested in knowing more about his operations but the information based on the title of the book was slightly misleading.
Nonetheless I gained a lot of interesting perspectives on politics in Pakistan and stories of smaller gangsters.
Zaidi has a knack of storytelling which makes reading political facts also interesting and engaging.
So if you are looking to read a crime thriller or are interested in reading about the politics of a country then check out Dubai to Karachi.
April 30, 2025
I am a fan of S. Hussain Zaidi and have read almost all of his books. Although in this one he misses his mark somewhat. As many other readers have pointed out, too much of the book covers peripheral topics not directly related to Dawood. The new content around the Don despite the author's best efforts is thin. In the beginning of the book, he is portrayed as the someone behind all the power moves in Pakistan. But on page 329, the author indicates that ISI forced him to come onboard the plan to bomb Mumbai overcoming his reluctance. It is common knowledge that only ISI and Pakistan army have the real power in Pakistan and the Don may be influential and valuable to the former but in my opinion, can't be the one having the final say on things as is indicated.
March 13, 2025
Detailed account of underworld after the 1993 Mumbai blasts also Dawood's and D-Company's activities after moving to Dubai in 1986 and then to Karachi after 1993 blasts.
Many other characters of underworld and stories associated with gangs and their members how they ended up in crime and also what happened to them during all those years until today's date.
Must read for one who really wants to know aftermath of bomb blasts and what happened to Gangs and gangmembers after entering to underworld and their current position.
Many other characters of underworld and stories associated with gangs and their members how they ended up in crime and also what happened to them during all those years until today's date.
Must read for one who really wants to know aftermath of bomb blasts and what happened to Gangs and gangmembers after entering to underworld and their current position.
August 20, 2025
I rarely write reviews, but I had to for this one. This is by far the most disappointing book I’ve read by S. Hussain Zaidi. It started with a bang, but quickly lost direction. The narrative became confusing, jumping from one person to another without clarity, making it hard to stay engaged.
I’ve previously read From Dongri to Dubai, his most famous work, which was brilliant and tightly written. Compared to that, this book doesn’t even come close, it's not even 10% of the quality. The writing feels scattered, rushed, and completely devoid of the gripping storytelling Zaidi is known for
I’ve previously read From Dongri to Dubai, his most famous work, which was brilliant and tightly written. Compared to that, this book doesn’t even come close, it's not even 10% of the quality. The writing feels scattered, rushed, and completely devoid of the gripping storytelling Zaidi is known for
December 6, 2025
Hussain Zaidi’s writing did not
disappoint — unlike what some comments here had led me to expect.
This book is a true page-turner, and I finished it almost as quickly as I did Anxious People.
If you’ve ever heard of the Bombay underworld, D-Company, or its notorious kingpin, prepare for your biggest surprise yet in this read!
disappoint — unlike what some comments here had led me to expect.
This book is a true page-turner, and I finished it almost as quickly as I did Anxious People.
If you’ve ever heard of the Bombay underworld, D-Company, or its notorious kingpin, prepare for your biggest surprise yet in this read!
January 6, 2025
A very informative book on the Mumbai underworld and its workings.
However, it does not stay true to its title of charting the story of Dawood from Dubai to Karachi. In fact, more than half of the book is unrelated to this or Dawood himself.
However, it does not stay true to its title of charting the story of Dawood from Dubai to Karachi. In fact, more than half of the book is unrelated to this or Dawood himself.
January 15, 2025
Writer’s story telling is not coherent. Just to show case his vocabulary capability used lot of new words. Book is a let down and doesn’t deep dive into how Dawood climbed up from Dubai to Karachis key kingmaker
January 20, 2025
Hardly anything about Dawood. Book reads like an anthology of smaller criminals, with a passing mention of Dawood if at all. Don’t see the purpose of naming the book as such.
Boring.
Boring.
February 13, 2025
A bunch of Short Stories of gangsters that is influenced by Dawood unearthed with pulse pounding narration.
February 26, 2025
Excellent investigative journalism presented in a muddled, wildly chaotic narrative
April 20, 2025
Hussain Zaidi's books are always riveting and factual.
July 20, 2025
Brilliant , one word for this book
The author has excelled himself. Riveting , engrossing and revealing.
The author has excelled himself. Riveting , engrossing and revealing.
March 2, 2026
Amazingly detailed.
All associated stories with a current twist of History. What happened with the characters outlined in Dongri to Dubai is clarified here.
All associated stories with a current twist of History. What happened with the characters outlined in Dongri to Dubai is clarified here.
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