This book has a major identity problem. On the outset, the book appears to only chronicle the infamous don's life story but then the author gets into this Mario Puzo style of recounting the entire yesteryear Mumbai mafia's transformation from one phase into another not to mention the feeble attempt to make you-know-who be given a Vito Corleone-ish shade. Oh and there is sex strewn here and there à la Sunny Corleone and Lucy Mancini type of crude stuff but with poor taste. Seriously, the author talks about how a certain thug liked to spit on his madame and lick it, ugh. Also, one has to wonder, how did the author know? Anyways, I am not going to deny the author his 4 stars not for the way he intended his readers would absorb it but for my own preferences. Allow me to elucidate.Have you ever been to a tea shop in a rural Indian village where there is always that one guy who knew everything about everyone and for a sponsored chai or beedi was willing to make your tea break interesting with some latest village gossip? That is how I pictured Mr. Hussain Zaidi while going through this book.Excellent narrative style, a not-so-stellar but good enough research work and good proof reading provides for decent quality content. Total time-pass book.
