Mastan Mirza was an organised crime gang leader, originally from Tamil Nadu and based in Bombay. From the 1960s to the early 1980s, he was one of an infamous trio of mafia gang leaders in Bombay for over two decades along with Karim Lala leader of the Pathan gang, and Varadarajan Mudaliar, another famous gang leader from Tamil Nadu in South India. At his peak, Mastan operated a powerful smuggling syndicate in Mumbai and along the Gujarat coast and later diversified into film financing and real estate business. Mastan was arguably the most influential mafia don of his time. He was also seen as a “style icon” by many due to his extravagant lifestyle including immaculate white clothes, white shoes, white Mercedes cars and expensive gold watches. Mastan flaunted an extravagant lifestyle to appear affluent and influential.
Personal Life
Haji Mastan was born on the 1st of March 1926, in Ramanathapuram, Madras Presidency, British India
(now in Tamil Nadu, India).
| Birth Name | Mastan Haider Mirza |
| Nickname | Haji Mastan, Bawa, Sultan Mirza |
| Date of Birth | 1st of March 1926 |
| Place of Birth | Ramanathapuram, Madras Presidency, British India (now in Tamil Nadu, India) |
| Died | On the 25th of June 1994 (aged 68), in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India (Cardiac Arrest). |
| Sun Sign | Pisces |
| Profession | Gangster, Filmmaker, Politician |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Ethnicity |
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| Religion | Islam |
Education
His educational qualifications are unknown.
Family Details
- Father – Unknown
- Mother – Unknown
- Siblings – Unknown
Marital Status
Married
Girlfriend / Spouse
Haji Mastan has dated –
- Shahjehan Begum – In 1984, Haji married Shahjehan Begum. She is popularly known as Sona. Haji Mastan had four children with Shahjehan Begum: a daughter Shamshad Supariwala, and three sons Nadir Nasir and Akhtar Mirza. He also had an adopted son, Sundar Shaekhar, who was a Hindu by birth.
- Madhubala – Mastan was very fond of Indian actress Madhubala and he found shades of Madhubala in Shahhejan Begum and hence married her.
Physical Statistics
| Height |
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| Weight |
|
| Body Measurements | N/A |
| Body Build | Slim |
| Eye Color | Black |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Shoe Size | 11.5 (US) |
| Dress Size | N/A |
| Sexuality | Straight |
Professional Statistics
Famous For
Haji became known as an Indian gangster and smuggler, who later also dealt in film financing and real estate. Popularly known as the ‘Undisputed Don’ of Mumbai’s underworld, he partied with the who’s who of the city, right from top politicians to Bollywood actors and business magnates. The modern-day gangsters, right from Dawood Ibrahim to Chhota Rajan, Chhota Shakeel to Arun Gowli, were all trained under Haji Mastan.
Political Career
In 1980-81, After his release from prison, Mastan entered politics and in 1985, formed a political party and named it Dalit Muslim Surakhsha Maha Sangh which was later renamed as Bharatiya Minorities Suraksha Mahasangh currently led by Sundar Shaekhar
Haji Mastan Net worth
Haji Mastan has an estimated net worth of $6.5 billion dollars as of 2024.
Some Lesser Known Facts About Haji Mastan
- Mastan was born in a Tamil Muslim family in Panaikulam, an area mostly inhabited by Tamil Muslims in the Madras Presidency (modern-day Tamil Nadu) of British India.
- He lived in the coastal town of Cuddalore before migrating to Bombay with his father at the age of 8. Mastan started doing odd jobs as a small boy in the famous Crawford Market and soon joined the docks and started working long hours there.
- During his early twenties, due to the high import duty on gold, people started smuggling gold from overseas. Working in the docks made it easy for him to participate in smuggling and soon Mastan started his own business.
- Haji began making a decent sum of money by diverting his sectors into this business. At an early age he also went on Hajj. He ventured into film financing later in his life, providing producers in Mumbai with some much-needed funds. He eventually turned into a film producer himself.
- He also had business interests in real estate, electronic goods, and hotels. He owned several electronic shops in Musafir Khana near Crawford Market.
- Mastan maintained good relations with the other gang leaders. When inter-gang rivalry in Mumbai began to increase, he called all the top gang leaders together and split Mumbai between the gangs so that they could operate without coming into conflict.
- During the Indian Emergency, he was imprisoned. Whilst in prison, he was influenced by the ideals of politician Jaiprakash Narayan and also began learning Hindi.
- Haji entered politics and formed a political party and named it Dalit Muslim Surakhsha Maha Sangh. On 25 June 1994, Mastan died of cardiac arrest.
