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Hussain Zaidi Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated October 4, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth28 February 1968

Age57 Years

BirthplaceMumbai, Maharashtra, India

ProfessionAuthor and Novelist

NationalityIndian

Marital statusMarried

SpouseVelly Thevar

FamilyTwo sons

Hussain Zaidi Biography

Hussain Zaidi is an Indian investigative journalist turned author known for his books on Mumbai's underworld. Born and raised in Mumbai, he built a career:

Early life and background

S. Hussain Zaidi was born on 28 February 1968 in Mumbai, Maharashtra. He grew up in the city that would become the primary setting for much of his reporting and writing. Zaidi is Indian by nationality and follows Islam. He is married to Velly Thevar and the couple have two sons. Zaidi’s physical profile is listed at about 175 cm (5'9"), with brown eyes and salt-and-pepper hair.

Career

Zaidi began his professional life in journalism. He worked for several Indian newspapers and tabloids over the years, including stints at The Indian Express, Mid Day, Mumbai Mirror and as a resident editor at The Asian Age. His beat focused on crime and investigative reporting, and he mentored younger reporters in that field.

His first book, Black Friday, was published in 2002 and drew on his reporting about the 1993 Bombay bombings. From that starting point he developed a body of non-fiction work centered on Mumbai’s organised crime scene. Notable titles credited to him include Dongri to Dubai: Six Decades of the Mumbai Mafia; Mafia Queens of Mumbai; My Name is Abu Salem; Mumbai Avengers; Byculla To Bangkok; Class of '83; The Endgame; Mafia (2012); London Confidential: The Chinese Conspiracy; and Eleventh Hour.

Zaidi’s reporting and books have been sources for other writers as well as filmmakers. International authors have used his research, and several of his books have been adapted for film and streaming. Black Friday was adapted into a feature film, and Dongri to Dubai provided material for both the film Shootout at Wadala and a Netflix series titled Dongri to Dubai produced by Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani. Other adaptations include works that inspired Phantom, Class of '83, and Gangubai Kathiawadi, the latter drawing on Zaidi’s Mafia Queens of Mumbai.

Beyond print, Zaidi has worked in other media. He is credited as an associate producer on HBO’s 2009 documentary Terror in Mumbai, which examines the 2008 Mumbai attacks. He has also been involved in collaborative editorial projects, including a blog called The Writers' Room, a venture with author Vikram Chandra and partners tied to publishing and writing platforms.

Public profile

Zaidi’s career has at times intersected with high-profile and risky reporting. In 1997 he interviewed Dawood Ibrahim for The Indian Express, a major scoop given Ibrahim’s notoriety. He also interviewed Abu Salem while researching a book about the gangster. On assignment in Iraq during the U.S. overthrow of Saddam Hussein, Zaidi was reportedly kidnapped and later released.

Asked about the transition of his factual work to dramatized forms, Zaidi has said he places a premium on factual accuracy in his books while allowing filmmakers creative freedom. He has observed that the rise of true-crime in later years created opportunities he had not anticipated early in his career.

Latest updates

Recent titles from Zaidi include London Confidential: The Chinese Conspiracy; Eleventh Hour, a tribute to men in uniform; and The Endgame, which explores politics, betrayal and terror. His work continues to be adapted and cited across media, and he remains a prominent voice on crime reporting and the history of Mumbai’s underworld.

Personal interests

Outside professional duties, Zaidi lists reading and weightlifting among his hobbies. His culinary preferences include Lucknawi and Tamilian dishes.

Editorial Review and Sources

This F4U profile is written from publicly available career and profile information, then reviewed for clarity before publication. If you spot an outdated detail about Hussain Zaidi, send the page URL and a reliable correction source to f4udotin@gmail.com.

Reference context: StarsUnfolded
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Recent Work

London Confidential: The Chinese Conspiracy

2020
Eleventh Hour

A tribute to the men in uniform

2020
The Endgame

Based on politics, betrayal and terror

2020
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Career Highlights

  1. Started as an investigative journalist and served as resident editor at The Asian Age
  2. Published debut book Black Friday (2002) about the 1993 Bombay bombings
  3. Authored several books on Mumbai's underworld, including Dongri to Dubai and Mafia Queens of Mumbai
  4. Books adapted into films and a Netflix series; associate producer on HBO's Terror in Mumbai (2009)
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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Hussain Zaidi born?

28 February 1968

What is Hussain Zaidi known for?

Author and Novelist

What is Hussain Zaidi’s marital status?

Married

Who is Hussain Zaidi married to?

Velly Thevar