Stories revolving around Mafia have always been a subject of interest. While the West had a cult classic like Godfather which was inspired by real-life mafia boss Frank Costello, India too had flicks like Company, D, Shootout at Lokhandwala, and Once Upon a Time in Mumbai which drew inspiration from India’s most dreaded gangster Dawood Ibrahim. And now Netflix is bringing alive the story of this mafia who reigned terror in Mumbai in the 90s – Dawood Ibrahim.
While Bollywood touched upon the life and times of Dawood Ibrahim rather ostentatiously, it will be interesting to see how Netflix attempts to unveil the background, crimes, and controversies surrounding the notorious mafioso. The true crime documentary, which is releasing on Netflix today, on January 6, will give an insight into the crime world of the Dawood Ibrahim.
Mumbai Mafia: The life and times of Mumbai’s dreaded gangster
Netflix released a poster of the same a day earlier captioning it as this, “From the underbelly to the high-rise cityscape of Mumbai, organised crime in the 90s truly exploded. Witness the Police and the mafia come face to face in this true crime documentary-Mumbai Mafia, streaming tomorrow, only on Netflix.”
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Check the trailer here:
About Dawood Ibrahim: Mumbai’s underworld don
He has been designated as a global terrorist by India and the United States and carries a bounty of USD 25 million for his suspected role in the 1993 Mumbai blast. He is referred to as the underworld don of Mumbai. Though his whereabouts remain practically unknown, the feared gangster continues to intrigue people in India. So much so, that books and films have been made about his life.
Dawood’s criminal journey dates back to his teenage years when started committing petty frauds and thefts. He later joined local gangster Basshu Dada and formally became a part of the organised crime syndicate. However, in the 1970s, he split from the gang and formed his own along with his brother. But his brother wasn’t there for too long. He was killed by a rival Pathan gang and Dawood was left alone to keep in check the fate of his crime organisation. Thus, it led to the formation of D-Company. Through D-Company, Dawood started gold smuggling, extortion, and drug trafficking. Things were going well until he was wanted by the Mumbai Police for the murder of Samad Khan. He fled to Dubai only to expand his gang with the help of his second-in-command, Chhota Rajan. Soon after, he was named the mastermind of the 1993 Mumbai bombings by the Indian government and the rest as they say is history.
No one has seen Dawood Ibrahim ever since. Although news of his staying in Karachi and UAE often pops up, it isn’t known as to where his real location is.
Netflix is going all out in bringing true crime documentaries to the platform and Mumbai Mafia: Police vs The Underworld is surely one which everyone is excited about.
Hero and Featured Images: Courtesy NetflixIndia/Instagram
Romaa Daas is a birdie whose eyes glistens when she hears about art, architecture, and décor. She’s passionate about reading novels especially one that is hardbound. When not working, she’s busy binge-watching K-dramas, and other movies and planning her next itinerary. Her latest fascination is trekking. Romaa is a journalism postgraduate. She has worked with several media organisations in the past including Thomson Reuters and India Today.
