In episode 136 of The Prakhar Gupta Xperience, Jigna Vora, former crime journalist and author, joins the conversation to revisit her experiences covering Mumbai’s underworld. She talks about the city in the 80s, the split between Dawood Ibrahim and Chhota Rajan, and her interactions with gangsters and their world. Jigna also opens up about her arrest, life inside jail, and how she rebuilt her life after one of the toughest chapters of her journey.Recording Date: September 1, 2025
00:00 - Intro01:03 - Dark Side of 80s Mumbai04:58 - Why Actresses loved Gangsters07:18 - Dawood & Chota Rajan split07:36 - Did Dawood Really Save Mumbai?09:52 - Who Defended Dawood?10:25 - Truth about Abu Salem & Anees Ibrahim11:29 - Meeting Gangster for the first time14:22 - Gangster’s girlfriend15:08 - Crimes behind beauty parlours15:55 - How Match Fixing Worked in the 90s17:10 - Inside a Gangster’s Mind17:56 - Media’s Obsession With Gangsters18:40 - Where Are Gangsters Now?20:28 - How Gangs Recruit Members22:15 - Reality of Underworld Today23:47 - Why Jigna went to jail31:49 - Life in Jail37:18 - First shocking jail interaction38:41 - Nigerian Peddler's Story40:40 - How Trauma Pushes People to Crime43:10 - Mental health of Prisoners 46:40 - Why Jail Life Breaks People50:10 - Prisoner-staff relationships50:42 - Fight inside Jail59:39 - How Her Family Got Affected01:04:48 - J Dey family’s reaction01:06:30 - Questions for Prakhar