Organised crime in India: Difference between revisions
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== Indian mafia in popular culture == |
== Indian mafia in popular culture == |
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[[Image:Awaara.jpg|thumb|right|240px|[[Raj Kapoor]], right, portraying a Mumbai underworld criminal called Raj Ragunath in ''[[Awaara]]'' (1951), also directed by Kapoor.]] |
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[[Crime film]]s revolving around the Indian mafia, particularly the [[Mumbai]] underworld, have been common in [[Cinema of India|Indian cinema]] since the 1950s, evolving into a distinct genre known as ''Mumbai noir'' in the late 1990s.<ref name=Nayar/> The genre has its origins in the 1950s, with the [[Raj Kapoor]] films ''[[Awaara]]'' (1951) and ''[[Shree 420]]'' (1955) being some of the earliest films involving the Mumbai underworld. In the 1960s, [[Shakti Samanta]]'s ''[[China Town (film)|China Town]]'' (1962), starring [[Shammi Kapoor]] and [[Helen (actress)|Helen]], dealt with the criminal underworld that existed in [[Chinatown, Kolkata]], at the time. It was the earliest film to introduce the plot element of a look-alike working as an undercover agent impersonating a gangster, an idea that was used again ''[[Don (film)|Don]]'' (1978) and many later films inspired by it.<ref>[http://www.cinegoer.com/bhalethammudu.htm CineGoer.com - Nostalgia - Bhale Thammudu]</ref> |
[[Crime film]]s revolving around the Indian mafia, particularly the [[Mumbai]] underworld, have been common in [[Cinema of India|Indian cinema]] since the 1950s, evolving into a distinct genre known as ''Mumbai noir'' in the late 1990s.<ref name=Nayar/> The genre has its origins in the 1950s, with the [[Raj Kapoor]] films ''[[Awaara]]'' (1951) and ''[[Shree 420]]'' (1955) being some of the earliest films involving the Mumbai underworld. In the 1960s, [[Shakti Samanta]]'s ''[[China Town (film)|China Town]]'' (1962), starring [[Shammi Kapoor]] and [[Helen (actress)|Helen]], dealt with the criminal underworld that existed in [[Chinatown, Kolkata]], at the time. It was the earliest film to introduce the plot element of a look-alike working as an undercover agent impersonating a gangster, an idea that was used again ''[[Don (film)|Don]]'' (1978) and many later films inspired by it.<ref>[http://www.cinegoer.com/bhalethammudu.htm CineGoer.com - Nostalgia - Bhale Thammudu]</ref> |
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In the 1970s and early 1980s, many of the most well-known classic [[Bollywood]] movies were based around themes of fighting criminals and corruption at a time when crime was rising and authorities were powerless. Classic [[Amitabh Bachchan]] films depicted the underworld and the protagonists attempting to overcome it, including [[Prakash Mehra]]'s ''[[Zanjeer]]'' (1972), [[Yash Chopra]]'s ''[[Deewar (1975 film)|Deewar]]'' (1975), [[Manmohan Desai]]'s ''[[Amar Akbar Anthony]]'' (1977), Chandra Barot's ''[[Don (1978 film)|Don]]'' (1978) and [[Vijay Anand]]'s ''[[Ram Balram]]'' (1980). In particular, ''Deewar'', which [[Danny Boyle]] described as being “absolutely key to [[Cinema of India|Indian cinema]]”, was a [[crime film]] pitting "a policeman against his brother, a gang leader based on real-life smuggler [[Haji Mastan]]", portrayed by Bachchan.<ref name=Kumar/> Most Bollywood crime movies at the time were fairly unrealistic with the ''[[Masala (film genre)|masala]]'' style of action and plots. In [[Parallel Cinema]] on the other hand, the [[Calcutta trilogy|Calcutta trilogies]] of [[Bengali cinema|Bengali film]] directors [[Mrinal Sen]] and [[Satyajit Ray]], particularly the 1976 film ''[[Jana Aranya]]'' (''The Middleman''), dealt with the [[Kolkata|Calcutta]] underworld in a more realistic manner. |
In the 1970s and early 1980s, many of the most well-known classic [[Bollywood]] movies were based around themes of fighting criminals and corruption at a time when crime was rising and authorities were powerless. Classic [[Amitabh Bachchan]] films depicted the underworld and the protagonists attempting to overcome it, including [[Prakash Mehra]]'s ''[[Zanjeer]]'' (1972), [[Yash Chopra]]'s ''[[Deewar (1975 film)|Deewar]]'' (1975), [[Manmohan Desai]]'s ''[[Amar Akbar Anthony]]'' (1977), Chandra Barot's ''[[Don (1978 film)|Don]]'' (1978) and [[Vijay Anand]]'s ''[[Ram Balram]]'' (1980). In particular, ''Deewar'', which [[Danny Boyle]] described as being “absolutely key to [[Cinema of India|Indian cinema]]”, was a [[crime film]] pitting "a policeman against his brother, a gang leader based on real-life smuggler [[Haji Mastan]]", portrayed by Bachchan.<ref name=Kumar/> Most Bollywood crime movies at the time were fairly unrealistic with the ''[[Masala (film genre)|masala]]'' style of action and plots. In [[Parallel Cinema]] on the other hand, the [[Calcutta trilogy|Calcutta trilogies]] of [[Bengali cinema|Bengali film]] directors [[Mrinal Sen]] and [[Satyajit Ray]], particularly the 1976 film ''[[Jana Aranya]]'' (''The Middleman''), dealt with the [[Kolkata|Calcutta]] underworld in a more realistic manner. |
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[[Image:Kamal Hassan in Nayagan.jpg|thumb|left|250px|[[Kamal Haasan]], right, portraying the Mumbai underworld don [[Varadarajan Mudaliar]] in the [[Dharavi]] slum, in [[Mani Ratnam]]'s ''[[Nayagan]]'' (1987).]] |
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In the late 1980s, Parallel Cinema filmmakers began producing more realistic Bombay underworld films, with an early example being [[Mani Ratnam]]'s [[Cinema of Tamil Nadu|Tamil film]], ''[[Nayagan]]'' (1987), based on the life of the Bombay [[Don (honorific)|don]], [[Varadarajan Mudaliar]], portrayed by [[Kamal Haasan]]. ''Nayagan'' was included in [[Time (magazine)|''Time'' Magazine]]'s "[[Time magazine's "All-TIME" 100 best movies|All-Time 100 Best Films]]" list, issued in 2005.<ref>{{cite web| year = 2005 | url = http://www.time.com/time/2005/100movies/the_complete_list.html | title = Time Magazine All time best 100 movies | publisher = Time Magazine| accessdate = September 2 | accessyear = 2008}}</ref> The Bombay underworld was also depicted in [[Mira Nair]]'s [[Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film|Academy Award]] nominated Hindi film ''[[Salaam Bombay!]]'' (1988). The underworld was also depicted in several other [[National Film Awards|National Film Award]] winning films, including [[Vidhu Vinod Chopra]]'s ''[[Parinda]]'' (1989) starring [[Anil Kapoor]], [[Mukul S. Anand]]'s ''[[Agneepath]]'' (1990) starring Bachchan, and [[Sudhir Mishra]]'s ''[[Dharavi (film)|Dharavi]]'' (1991) also starring Kapoor. |
In the late 1980s, Parallel Cinema filmmakers began producing more realistic Bombay underworld films, with an early example being [[Mani Ratnam]]'s [[Cinema of Tamil Nadu|Tamil film]], ''[[Nayagan]]'' (1987), based on the life of the Bombay [[Don (honorific)|don]], [[Varadarajan Mudaliar]], portrayed by [[Kamal Haasan]]. ''Nayagan'' was included in [[Time (magazine)|''Time'' Magazine]]'s "[[Time magazine's "All-TIME" 100 best movies|All-Time 100 Best Films]]" list, issued in 2005.<ref>{{cite web| year = 2005 | url = http://www.time.com/time/2005/100movies/the_complete_list.html | title = Time Magazine All time best 100 movies | publisher = Time Magazine| accessdate = September 2 | accessyear = 2008}}</ref> The Bombay underworld was also depicted in [[Mira Nair]]'s [[Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film|Academy Award]] nominated Hindi film ''[[Salaam Bombay!]]'' (1988). The underworld was also depicted in several other [[National Film Awards|National Film Award]] winning films, including [[Vidhu Vinod Chopra]]'s ''[[Parinda]]'' (1989) starring [[Anil Kapoor]], [[Mukul S. Anand]]'s ''[[Agneepath]]'' (1990) starring Bachchan, and [[Sudhir Mishra]]'s ''[[Dharavi (film)|Dharavi]]'' (1991) also starring Kapoor. |
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[[Image:Satya.jpg|thumb|Movie poster for [[Ram Gopal Varma]]'s ''[[Satya (film)|Satya]]'' (1998), considered the beginning of the ''Mumbai noir'' genre.]] |
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In the late 1990s, [[Ram Gopal Varma]]'s ''[[Satya (film)|Satya]]'' (1998) marked the introduction of a new genre of film making, ''Mumbai noir'', of which he is the acknowledged master.<ref name=Nayar>{{cite news| title = Bollywood on the table| author = Aruti Nayar| work = The Tribune| date = 2007-12-16| accessdate = 2008-06-19| url = http://www.tribuneindia.com/2007/20071216/spectrum/main11.htm}}</ref> The critical and commercial success of ''Satya'' led to an increased emphasis on realism in later Mumbai underworld films. Varma's next ''Mumbai noir'' film was ''[[Company (film)|Company]]'' (2002), based on the [[D-Company]], a real-life criminal organization. ''Satya'' and ''Company'' both gave "slick, often mesmerizing portrayals of the Mumbai underworld", and displayed realistic "brutality and urban violence."<ref name=Kumar/> ''Satya'' won six [[Filmfare Awards]], including the [[Filmfare Critics Award for Best Movie|Critics Award for Best Film]], while ''Company'' won seven Filmfare Awards. A prequel to ''Company'' was released in 2005, entitled ''[[D (film)|D]]'' (2005), produced by Varma and directed by Vishram Sawant. Varma's three films ''Satya'', ''Company'' and ''D'' are together considered an "Indian Gangster Trilogy", comparable to the [[Godfather Trilogy]] or ''[[Infernal Affairs]]'' trilogy.<ref>{{cite web|author=Charlie|title=D: Final film in Indian Gangster Trilogy a Must See|publisher=Cinema Strikes Back|date=2005-08-24|url=http://www.cinemastrikesback.com/index.php?p=562|accessdate=2009-02-22}}</ref> Varma also directed an Indian adaptation of [[The Godfather (novel)|''The Godfather'' novel]] in a Mumbai underworld setting, called ''[[Sarkar (film)|Sarkar]]'' (2005), and has more recently filmed an original sequel called ''[[Sarkar Raj]]'' (2008). |
In the late 1990s, [[Ram Gopal Varma]]'s ''[[Satya (film)|Satya]]'' (1998) marked the introduction of a new genre of film making, ''Mumbai noir'', of which he is the acknowledged master.<ref name=Nayar>{{cite news| title = Bollywood on the table| author = Aruti Nayar| work = The Tribune| date = 2007-12-16| accessdate = 2008-06-19| url = http://www.tribuneindia.com/2007/20071216/spectrum/main11.htm}}</ref> The critical and commercial success of ''Satya'' led to an increased emphasis on realism in later Mumbai underworld films. Varma's next ''Mumbai noir'' film was ''[[Company (film)|Company]]'' (2002), based on the [[D-Company]], a real-life criminal organization. ''Satya'' and ''Company'' both gave "slick, often mesmerizing portrayals of the Mumbai underworld", and displayed realistic "brutality and urban violence."<ref name=Kumar/> ''Satya'' won six [[Filmfare Awards]], including the [[Filmfare Critics Award for Best Movie|Critics Award for Best Film]], while ''Company'' won seven Filmfare Awards. A prequel to ''Company'' was released in 2005, entitled ''[[D (film)|D]]'' (2005), produced by Varma and directed by Vishram Sawant. Varma's three films ''Satya'', ''Company'' and ''D'' are together considered an "Indian Gangster Trilogy", comparable to the [[Godfather Trilogy]] or ''[[Infernal Affairs]]'' trilogy.<ref>{{cite web|author=Charlie|title=D: Final film in Indian Gangster Trilogy a Must See|publisher=Cinema Strikes Back|date=2005-08-24|url=http://www.cinemastrikesback.com/index.php?p=562|accessdate=2009-02-22}}</ref> Varma also directed an Indian adaptation of [[The Godfather (novel)|''The Godfather'' novel]] in a Mumbai underworld setting, called ''[[Sarkar (film)|Sarkar]]'' (2005), and has more recently filmed an original sequel called ''[[Sarkar Raj]]'' (2008). |
Revision as of 03:14, 18 May 2009
This article needs additional citations for verification. (July 2007) |
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The term Indian mafia refers to certain criminal organizations found in some of India's major cities.
Mumbai underworld
The first mafia element was Ayub Lala who was the president of Pakhtuk Jirga E Hind, an association of Afghani Pathan in Mumbai. Prior to 1940, there were around 13,000 Pathan in Mumbai who were mainly suppliers of commodities and services to the British. During World War II, these Pathan were instrumental in setting up several red-light districts for British military men. Indians were not allowed to enter some of the prostitute houses that only catered for whites. It was at that time that Pukhtun Jirga E Hind was formed under the leadership of Ayub Lala who was known as Ayub Baba. During his tenure he was the Don. While vacationing in Kashmir he befriended a young boy aged around 6 years who was working as a coolie (porter). Ayub Lala brought this boy to Mumbai and named him Kashmiri. Kashmiri rapidly rose among the ranks of the mumbai underworld and eventually came to be known as Kashmiri Lala, a highly regarded title.
Kashmiri Lala held a 26 per cent stake in all of Ayub Lala's businesses. He unleashed his reign of terror by extorting money from various marwadi businessmen. His extortion activities grew beyond Ayub Lala's control. Kashmiri Lala began to extort larger and larger sums from already struggling businesses despite repeted warnings from Ayub Lala to stop. Some influential businessmen finally convinced Ayub lala to order Kashmiri Lala's murder in order to put an end to his ruthless unauthorized extortion techniques. Kashmiri lala was killed by a Sardar (sikh) assassin and this was perhaps the first high profile murder in the organised crime world in Mumbai. Soon after the murder the police came knocking on Ayub lala's door. He was taken to the crime branch of the Mumbai police headquarters and was rigorously interrogated. This was the first time Ayub had been to the police headquarters. The police were eventually unable to get anything productive out of Ayub and after they recorded his official statement, they let him go. The incident tremendously rattled Ayub and the very same day Ayub lala left Mumbai for good and settled down in Panchghani, a small resort town among the hills of the Western ghats. He eventually started a school there. When asked by his Mumbai associates to return he refused, stating "Anybody who has climbed up the staircases leading to the Police station is not fit to be a DON" as the reason. Before he left Mumbai he named Karim, one of his top henchmen, as the president of Pakhtun Jirga E Hind and awarded him the title of "lala". Karim started out as street vendor selling Tincture bottles in the Dongri neighbourhood of south Mumbai. Soon Karim Lala came to be known as the new Don. He set up organized squads to rob shipments from the Mumbai Docks. Many gangsters have started their crime filled careers by robbing goods from the Mumbai Docks. At that time haji Mastan Mirza was still a coolie. The first smuggler in Mumbai was Haji talab Hussein. After Haji talab Hussein was arrested by customs, the Arabs contacted Haji Mastan and Mastan rose to heights as smuggler and later DON in mumbai. While Karim lala and haji Mastan set up their empires in south Mumbai, Varadrajan Mudaliyar set up his kingdom at wadala stealing the goods from railway wagons. Manpower and protection men were provided to haji mastan and Varadrajan Mudaliyar by Chandrakant Alias babya Khopade who was the chief of the Golden gang in Mumbai.
The first Bank dacoity was committed by a robber Anokhelal who came to mumbai from Delhi after seeing an English movie Highway 301. he formed a gang of local goons and committed the dacoity after doing two rehearsals at the bank which were not noticed by the bank staff. The movie was later banned in Mumbai. the Bank looted was The Lloyds bank at Fort area in Mumbai. Rs. 16 lakhs were looted killing the watchman of the bank. The police detected the dacoity on an information about a 10,000 rupees worth "Chaddar" that was laid at HajiAli durgah. The first of mafia elements, or syndicates, perhaps had their origins in the gambling and bootleg liquor dens set up by Karim Lala[1] in the 1940s. He was succeeded by Varadarajan Mudaliar, a Tamil migrant who arrived to Bombay along with an influx of south-Indian migrants. The increasing restrictions placed on the Indian economy by the socialist regimes of those days gave the Bombay underworld increasingly more means by which they could expand their activities[citation needed]. Ramabhai Naik in 1986 gunned down supari-king Karim Lala's nephew, the dreaded Samad Khan, and paved the way for Dawood Ibrahim.
A colleague of his, who was placed in jail during the Indian Emergency (1975 - 77), Mastan Mirza, more famously known as Haji Mastan also played a key role in structuring illegal gambling as an organised business. He formed Dalit Muslim Surakhsha Maha Sangh in 1985-86. He did not know how to read or write English, Hindi or Urdu. Aslam Kiratpuri a well known journalist, gave him ideas how to speak in public meetings after which he became a good speaker. In the year 1994 he died in Mumbai.
After the collapse of the cotton mills based textile industry in Mumbai in the 1980s, many workers were left unemployed, furthering the environment for crime that already existed. Various underworld dons rose to power. As Mastan's influence in Bollywood grew, he began to produce films and cast his mistress, an aspiring starlet, into small roles. He was also known for his links with the legendary actor Dilip Kumar. During the Indian Emergency (1975 - 77) he was imprisoned. Haji Mastan become as a Muslim leader in 1984.
D-Company was formed by Dawood Ibrahim, an acolyte of Hajji Mastana, and a descendant of migrants from the Konkan coast Ratnagiri district to be specific. It was amongst the most powerful criminal organisations in the world in the 80s, with many illegal and legal business ventures under Dawood's control. His group eventually split up creating separate gang of Chotta Rajan and Vinod Kumar Sharma(Chairman) sometime during the mid-nineties due to his use of communal violence for personal gain. Where his mafia had previously been secular, it now broke up on communal lines. Soon after the Bombay riots, a series of blasts that took place in Bombay in 1993 and changed Bombay underworld completely, he was accused, both by former colleagues and the police, for orchestrating the blasts. It is thought that in an attempt to gain political support from religious radicals that would legitimise him as more than a crook, he collaborated with various terrorist organisations. This led to the fragmentation of his criminal empire when Vinod Kumar Sharma, his lieutenant, broke away and gained support of powerful right-wing Hindu Nationalist politicians. Soon after the bombings he was forced to flee the city (now renamed Mumbai) and the country.
The Indian Mafia in the meantime has spread to other parts of India and has diversified onto various activities. In Mumbai, with the adoption of new police policies, crime has been going down in Mumbai and the mafia has been forced to flee the city to safer havens. Many of its crime bosses operate from different parts of the world, controlling the Mafia within India.
Mumbai underworld today
![]() | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (May 2008) |
The underworld of Mumbai, the most populous city in India and capital of Maharashtra state, is a criminal network, which thrives on extortion, drugs and prostitution. The underworld is controlled by three or four major gangs, but most of them have been on the run from law recently.
The underworld's activities are not just limited to organized crime. Many 'dons' are supposedly linked to the heart of India's entertainment industry, otherwise known as Bollywood. The main role played by the underworld is that of financing the productions, although some outfits aim to control the script content and other thematic elements of the plot.
The Mumbai underworld today does not exist as one single gang, like the former D-Company, but rather as a collection of gangs which have formed from the parent gangs' split. Some are; Chotta Shakeel and Abu Salem gang (also known as D-Company), Chotta Rajan gang, Vinod Kumar Sharma(Chairman) gang,and pankaj madan Ali Budesh gang and Arun Gawli gang, as well as other gangs which have arisen recently.
Activities
India is a major transit point for heroin coming in from the Golden Triangle and Golden Crescent to Europe. India is also the world's largest legal grower of opium, and experts estimate that 5-10% of the legal opium is converted into illegal heroin. The pharmaceutical industry is also responsible for a lot of illegal production of illegal mandrax, much of which is smuggled into South Africa. Diamond smuggling via South Africa is also a major criminal activity, and diamonds are also sometimes used to disguise shipments of heroin. Finally, a lot of money laundering takes place in the country, mostly through the use of the traditional hawala system, although India has criminalised money laundering as of 2003. [2]
Indian mafia in popular culture
Crime films revolving around the Indian mafia, particularly the Mumbai underworld, have been common in Indian cinema since the 1950s, evolving into a distinct genre known as Mumbai noir in the late 1990s.[3] The genre has its origins in the 1950s, with the Raj Kapoor films Awaara (1951) and Shree 420 (1955) being some of the earliest films involving the Mumbai underworld. In the 1960s, Shakti Samanta's China Town (1962), starring Shammi Kapoor and Helen, dealt with the criminal underworld that existed in Chinatown, Kolkata, at the time. It was the earliest film to introduce the plot element of a look-alike working as an undercover agent impersonating a gangster, an idea that was used again Don (1978) and many later films inspired by it.[4]
In the 1970s and early 1980s, many of the most well-known classic Bollywood movies were based around themes of fighting criminals and corruption at a time when crime was rising and authorities were powerless. Classic Amitabh Bachchan films depicted the underworld and the protagonists attempting to overcome it, including Prakash Mehra's Zanjeer (1972), Yash Chopra's Deewar (1975), Manmohan Desai's Amar Akbar Anthony (1977), Chandra Barot's Don (1978) and Vijay Anand's Ram Balram (1980). In particular, Deewar, which Danny Boyle described as being “absolutely key to Indian cinema”, was a crime film pitting "a policeman against his brother, a gang leader based on real-life smuggler Haji Mastan", portrayed by Bachchan.[5] Most Bollywood crime movies at the time were fairly unrealistic with the masala style of action and plots. In Parallel Cinema on the other hand, the Calcutta trilogies of Bengali film directors Mrinal Sen and Satyajit Ray, particularly the 1976 film Jana Aranya (The Middleman), dealt with the Calcutta underworld in a more realistic manner.
In the late 1980s, Parallel Cinema filmmakers began producing more realistic Bombay underworld films, with an early example being Mani Ratnam's Tamil film, Nayagan (1987), based on the life of the Bombay don, Varadarajan Mudaliar, portrayed by Kamal Haasan. Nayagan was included in Time Magazine's "All-Time 100 Best Films" list, issued in 2005.[6] The Bombay underworld was also depicted in Mira Nair's Academy Award nominated Hindi film Salaam Bombay! (1988). The underworld was also depicted in several other National Film Award winning films, including Vidhu Vinod Chopra's Parinda (1989) starring Anil Kapoor, Mukul S. Anand's Agneepath (1990) starring Bachchan, and Sudhir Mishra's Dharavi (1991) also starring Kapoor.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/12/Satya.jpg/220px-Satya.jpg)
In the late 1990s, Ram Gopal Varma's Satya (1998) marked the introduction of a new genre of film making, Mumbai noir, of which he is the acknowledged master.[3] The critical and commercial success of Satya led to an increased emphasis on realism in later Mumbai underworld films. Varma's next Mumbai noir film was Company (2002), based on the D-Company, a real-life criminal organization. Satya and Company both gave "slick, often mesmerizing portrayals of the Mumbai underworld", and displayed realistic "brutality and urban violence."[5] Satya won six Filmfare Awards, including the Critics Award for Best Film, while Company won seven Filmfare Awards. A prequel to Company was released in 2005, entitled D (2005), produced by Varma and directed by Vishram Sawant. Varma's three films Satya, Company and D are together considered an "Indian Gangster Trilogy", comparable to the Godfather Trilogy or Infernal Affairs trilogy.[7] Varma also directed an Indian adaptation of The Godfather novel in a Mumbai underworld setting, called Sarkar (2005), and has more recently filmed an original sequel called Sarkar Raj (2008).
Mahesh Manjrekar's Vaastav: The Reality (1999) is another film that depicts the Indian mafia. Anurag Kashyap's Black Friday (2004) is based on S. Hussein Zaidi's book of the same name about the 1993 Bombay bombings, which involved the underworld organization, the D-Company.[5] Vishal Bharadwaj's Maqbool (2004) and Omkara (2006) are modern-day Indian mafia interpretations of the William Shakespeare plays Macbeth and Othello, respectively. Farhan Akhtar's Don - The Chase Begins Again (2006) is a remake of Barot's original 1978 Don with Shahrukh Khan taking Bachchan's place in the title role. Apoorva Lakhia's Shootout at Lokhandwala (2007) is based on a real-life 1991 incident involving Commissioner Aftab Ahmed Khan and the Lokhandwala Complex. Waaris (2008) is an Indian television series on Zee TV with the Indian mafia as its background. The Mumbai underworld has also been depicted in Madhur Bhandarkar's Traffic Signal (2007) and Rajeev Khandelwal's Aamir (2008).
Danny Boyle's Academy Award winning film Slumdog Millionaire (2008), based on Vikas Swarup's Boeke Prize winning novel Q and A (2005), has also portrayed the Indian mafia, under the influence of earlier Mumbai noir films.[8] Boyle has cited previous Bollywood portrayals of the Mumbai underworld in Deewar, Satya, Company and Black Friday as direct influences on the film.[5][9] The Hollywood film Shantaram, based on Gregory David Roberts's Shantaram novel, also features the Indian mafia in its storyline. The film is being directed by Mira Nair and stars Johnny Depp in the lead role.
Bollywood connections
The Indian mafia is notoriously heavily involved in Mumbai's Bollywood film industry, providing films with funding and using them as fronts for other activities. Although in recent times police investigations have forced mobsters to make their activities more subtle, for most of Bollywood's existence stars openly displayed their mafia connections, attending parties with mafia dons and using their help to gain new roles.[10]
Other cities
Muthappa Rai is one of the prominent figures in the Bangalore underworld. In New Delhi however, Amitabh is the one of the old fashioned mafia chiefs.He mainly concentrates his activities around gambling and the construction business.Anshuman , a staunch ally, is one of the most feared "caporegime" in New Delhi notorious for 9233 killings.The mafia of Amitabh has its roots in Paharganj.These leaders are rumoured to be operating from their headquarters somewhere in Chanakyapuri and have links to groups like-
Abu Sayyaf Group Achik National Volunteer Council Akhil Bharat Nepali Ekta Samaj Al-Aqsa e.V. Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade Al-Badr Al Ghurabaa Al Ittihad Al Islamia al-Qa'ida al-Qa'ida in Iraq al-Qaeda Organization in the Islamic Maghreb Al-Umar-Mujahideen All Tripura Tiger Force Ansar al-Islam Ansar us-Sunna Armed Islamic Group Asbat al-Ansar Aum Shinrikyo Babbar Khalsa Babbar Khalsa International Baluchistan Liberation Army Communist Party of India (Maoist) Communist Party of the Philippines/ Continuity Irish Republican Army Cumann na mBan Deendar Anjuman Dukhtaran-E-Millat Egyptian Islamic Jihad Euskadi ta Askatasuna Fatah al-Islam Fianna na hEireann Gama'a al-Islamiyya GRAPO Great Eastern Islamic Raiders' Front Hamas [1] [2] Harakat-ul-Jihad-ul-Islami Harakat-ul-Jihad-ul-Islami (Bangladesh) Harakat ul-Mujahidin Harakat-Ul-Mujahideen/Alami Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin Hezbollah [3] [4] Hizbul Mujahideen Holy Land Foundation Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council Informal Anarchist Federation[5] International Sikh Youth Federation Islamic Army of Aden Islamic Jihad Union Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan Irish National Liberation Army Irish People's Liberation Organisation Irish Republican Army Jaish-e-Mohammed Jamaat ul-Furquan Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh Jamiat ul-Ansar Jammu and Kashmir Islamic Front Jemaah Islamiya Kach/Kahane Chai Kanglei Yaol Kanba Lup Kangleipak Communist Party Khalistan Commando Force Khuddam ul-Islam Kurdistan Freedom Falcons Kurdistan Workers' Party Lashkar-e-Toiba Lashkar-e-Jhangvi Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam [6] Libyan Islamic Fighting Group Loyalist Volunteer Force Manipur People's Liberation Front Moroccan Islamic Combatant Group Mujahedin-e Khalq [7] National Democratic Front of Bodoland National Liberation Army National Liberation Front of Tripura Nuclei Armati per il Comunismo Nuclei di Iniziativa Proletaria Nuclei Territoriali Antimperialisti Nucleo di Iniziativa Proletaria Rivoluzionaria Orange Volunteers Palestine Liberation Front Palestinian Islamic Jihad People's Liberation Army People's Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine- Real IRA Red Hand Commando Red Hand Defenders Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia Revolutionary Nuclei Revolutionary Organization 17 November Revolutionary People's Front Revolutionary People's Liberation Party/Front Revolutionary Struggle Saor Éire Saviour Sect Shining Path[8] Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan Stichting Al Aqsa Students Islamic Movement of India Takfir wal-Hijra Tehreek-e-Nafaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi Tamil Nadu Liberation Army Tamil National Retrieval Troops Ulster Defence Association Ulster Freedom Fighters Ulster Volunteer Force United Liberation Front of Asom United National Liberation Front United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia Vanguards of Conquest World Tamil Movement
Facial features and age are unknown. It is known that Amitabh provides with the logistics and Anshuman with the ammunition to these groups. But their existence is still under suspicion even by the Interpol. They are suspected to have the Delhi Police as well as the Central Bureau of Investigation on their payroll. Activities of the Amitabh-Anshuman mafia or New Delhi mafia include :
Murder Contracts and assassinations: It is estimated that till date, the New Delhi Mafia has organised over 100,000 killings or assassinations all over the world.
Liquor: Though liquor is sold in India only through government controlled shops, all illegal liquor activities are believed to be under Amitabh and Anshuman's control.
Gambling: 83% of illegal gambling activities in New Delhi are believed to be controlled by the New Delhi Mafia.
Extortion: It is estimated that the New Delhi Mafia makes more than €10 billion a year through protection rackets. Roughly 80% of Delhi based businesses and shops pay protection money to them, which can range from €200 a month for a small shop or bar to €5,000 a month for a supermarket. Protection money is called 'Hafta' in Bombay while it is called 'Maal' in New Delhi
Drug trafficking: In 2003, the New Delhi Mafia is estimated to have made over €8 billion through drug trafficking.
Paharganj is a major transshipment center for Southwest and Southeast Asian heroin.
Arms trafficking: In 2003, the New Delhi Mafia is estimated to have made over €1.5 billion through weapons trafficking.
Loan sharking: About 25.2% of Delhi based businesses are indebted to loan sharks, who collect around €1.4 billion a year in payments.
Control of contracting: The New Delhi Mafia makes around €6.5 billion a year through control of public and private contracts.
Both Amitabha and Anshuman had been trained by Delhi's most dreaded mafia chief- "Sarth"
Now, it is said that their boss, who has been acounted for 2,980 murders, and several other crimes. He is in well contact with other mafia chiefs as Daud-Ibrahim, Osama-Bin-Laden, Brad Pitt, Arun Vaco Roy and many more.
He is also known for the discovery of the hazardous drug known as 'Charsi Baba Harshit Bassi'.
All these three criminals are wanted world-wide.
See also
References
- ^ The Hindu, Karim Lala is dead, February 20 2002
- ^ [www.loc.gov/rr/frd/pdf-files/Nats_Hospitable.pdf Nations Hospitable to Organized Crime and Terrorism - Library of Congress report]
- ^ a b Aruti Nayar (2007-12-16). "Bollywood on the table". The Tribune. Retrieved 2008-06-19.
- ^ CineGoer.com - Nostalgia - Bhale Thammudu
- ^ a b c d Amitava Kumar (23 December 2008). "Slumdog Millionaire's Bollywood Ancestors". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 2008-01-04.
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(help) - ^ "Time Magazine All time best 100 movies". Time Magazine. 2005. Retrieved September 2.
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suggested) (help) - ^ Charlie (2005-08-24). "D: Final film in Indian Gangster Trilogy a Must See". Cinema Strikes Back. Retrieved 2009-02-22.
- ^ Christian Jungen (April 4, 2009). "Urban Movies: The Diversity of Indian Cinema". FIPRESCI. Retrieved 2009-05-11.
- ^ "All you need to know about Slumdog Millionaire". The Independent. 21 January 2009. Retrieved 2009-01-21.
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(help) - ^ BBC News - Analysis - Bollywood and the mafia http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/3152662.stm