At the launch of S Hussain Zaidi’s latest book Mafia Queens of India, that he co-authored with his wife and veteran journalist Velly Thevar, filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma offered a sharp take on why the book stands out in a genre long dominated by familiar tropes.
(L-R) S Hussain Zaidi, Ram Gopal Varma and Kirti Kulhari At a panel discussion, moderated by actress Kirti Kulhari, Varma zeroed in on what he sees as the book’s defining strength; its focus on women within the underworld. “When you hear the word ‘mafia,’ you rarely think of women at first,” he said, underscoring how deeply ingrained that perception is in popular imagination. For him, that very shift in perspective is what gives the book its edge. “I think that itself is a great angle,” Varma remarked, pointing to the narrative novelty of exploring crime through female protagonists rather than the usual male figures. Drawing attention to the author’s background, Varma highlighted the depth of reporting behind the work. He noted that S Hussain Zaidi’s experience lends authenticity to the stories, making them more than just dramatic retellings of criminal lives. “It will be a very new kind of experience to go through these stories,” he added. Throughout his remarks, Varma maintained a measured, analytical tone, focusing less on sensationalism and more on storytelling craft. His comments suggested that while the underworld has been widely explored in Indian cinema, perspectives like these have remained relatively untapped. By framing the book as a reimagining of how mafia narratives can be told, Varma positioned it as both a literary and cinematic opportunity, one that challenges conventions while opening the door to fresh interpretations of crime and power.
