Hello Mumbai City Desk 

Mumbai, March 20, 2025

At the Press Club Mumbai’s Glass House, Senior journalists Vivek Agrawal and Indrajeet Gupta’s  Much awaited book ‘Mastan’  was launched by renowned film director and writer Apoorva Lakhia. The event was attended by prominent journalist  Saeed Hameed ,filmmaker, music composer, director, and writer Pawan Kumar, and Senior journalist Aklesh Tiwari. The book was also launched digitally.

Senior journalist Aklesh Tiwari  introduced the authors.In his Speech Aklesh Tiwari shared brief Introduction of Vivek Agrawal that Vivek Agrawal has been actively involved in journalism for three decades. Since 1992, he has been covering Mumbai’s crime beat and has broken several exclusive stories. Aggarwal has written 35 books so far.

The book’s co-author, Indrajeet Gupta, has been an active journalist in Mumbai for the past two decades. He has worked with India TV, Bhaskar Samachar, CNEB  News, and New Express, breaking many major crime-related stories.

This book is about the life of Haji Mastan, covering his journey from birth to his later years, when he almost faded into obscurity. It details when and how Haji Mastan became a prominent figure in Mumbai and his influence on the city’s circumstances.

Speaking about the book, Vivek Agarwal mentioned that he and Indrajeet Gupta conceived the idea of writing Mastan during the COVID-19 lockdown. Agrawal had initially wanted to write a book on Haji Mastan for a long time, but it took years for the idea to materialize. One day, during a discussion, both authors decided to move forward with the project. It took 18 months of research and writing to complete the book. They worked to uncover the real story behind Haji Mastan’s life, which has been surrounded by various myths and exaggerations.

The book presents the true image of Mastan, revealing many previously unknown facts about him. Agrawal stated that cases such as an attempted murder charge against Mastan, which led to his arrest, are covered in the book, along with other lesser-known details about his life.

Critic Pawan Kumar praised the book, stating that both authors have an exceptional writing style. He mentioned that Mastan was a legend, and many myths and narratives surrounded him. He emphasized the importance of a book that presents the truth, applauding the authors for their courage in taking on this challenge. He also noted that the book is so well-written that readers will feel as if they are witnessing events unfold before their eyes.

Keynote speaker Hamid Saeed said on this occasion that Mastan always called himself a lion: “Enemies are enemies, but what have friends lacked?” Saeed served as the General Secretary of the Dalit Muslim Ekta Mahasangh, the political party founded by Haji Mastan. He explained how the political party was shaped, saying, “It was a time when everyone wanted to be associated with Mastan, but no one wanted to share the stage with him. Mastan was like an open book that everyone wanted to read.”

Saeed Hameed A Senior Journalist,who has been very Close to Late Haji Mastan and has been General Secratary of Dalit Muslim Ekta Mahasangh  also mentioned some incidents related to  late Haji Mastan and emphasized that the book presents Haji Mastan in three aspects—as a businessman, a social reformer, and a politician.

Guest of Honor Arup Lakhia’s Words

The event’s guest of honor, renowned filmmaker, director, and writer Aproova Lakhia, said that when Vivek Agrawal approached him and invited him to be the chief guest, he initially agreed to meet for just one hour. However, once Aggarwal started sharing details about the underworld, time flew by, and he did not even realize when hours had passed. Lakhia noted that this is the first book written on Haji Mastan, and he congratulated both authors for their achievement.

Event Hosting and Conclusion

The event was successfully hosted by Dr. Mukesh Gautam. All guests were welcomed with a Sonth Papdi Kachoriya snack, and the event concluded with a heartfelt address by Amar Pradeshi Vishal Singh.

Distinguished Attendees

Among the distinguished attendees were senior journalist and writer Harish Pathak, former Mahanagar newspaper editor and author Dwijendra Tiwari, senior journalist Jagjit Dixit, Indrajeet Singh, Rajesh Tripathi, Shubham Pandey, Prashant Pandey, Anil Aryaguru, Nishant Mishra, Aditi Mattu, Louis Genetics’ promoter Deepak Agrawal, gold trader Manish Jain, and Sheikh Aslam .