Arvind Ethan David, author of The Great Game, was born in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and educated in the UK, where his passion for creative writing began. A law graduate from the University of Oxford, Arvind found his true calling in theatre before expanding into storytelling across genres.
A witty historical detective thriller inspired by Arthur Conan Doyle, The Great Game follows Balvinder “Bunny” Dev Singh, a Sikh trainee lawyer turned accidental detective, as he navigates a mystery with a geopolitical twist.
In an interview with Asian Voice, Arvind shares the inspiration behind his novel, the creation of its central character and more.
‘The Great Game’ blends historical fiction, detective mystery, and political thriller. What inspired you to combine these genres for your debut novel?
I have always loved books like Sherlock Holmes, Rudyard Kipling’s Kim and the Tarzan series, which have been favourites among Indian readers for over a century. But when I revisited them as an adult, I wondered where the Indian characters were. And when Indians did appear, they were often portrayed as villains, suspects or servants, which did not reflect reality. There were many Indians in London in the early 1900s; lawyers, barristers and public figures. I wanted to write an Edwardian mystery thriller with an Indian hero at its centre. That led me to create Balvinder Dev Singh, a character who meets his heroes, including Sherlock Holmes and Churchill, while asking them the difficult questions I wanted to explore.
Was placing a South Asian character at the centre of a traditionally white-dominated genre your original aim, or did it emerge during the writing process?
I began writing the book through a character called Bunny, whom readers might initially assume to be a white Englishman, as is common in classic detective stories. But as the character developed, I realised he needed a different background and perspective. That is when Balvinder Dev Singh emerged as the hero of the story. Early in the book, Balvinder reveals that he is Indian, challenging readers’ assumptions about him. His identity shapes the entire story as he navigates life as an immigrant in Edwardian London. Coming from a traditional family, he dreams of travel, success and personal freedom, including pursuing his love for an Irish woman despite the challenges of an interracial relationship in 1905.
Balvinder’s identity becomes central to the mystery when Sherlock Holmes and the British authorities ask him to help solve a crime. Initially, he feels honoured to be part of such an important investigation, but he soon begins questioning the system he is serving and whether justice is truly equal. These doubts lead him towards the growing Indian independence movement. The mystery expands beyond a single crime into a deeper exploration of power, history and injustice, including the exploitation of India’s wealth under British rule.
You've worked across theatre, film, television, graphic novels, and audio. How different was the experience of writing your first novel?
Writing a novel was a very different experience from writing plays and television shows. While a play like Hamlet is around 30,000 words, a novel requires much greater length and endurance. Writing a 230-page book required a different kind of discipline and commitment. Unlike television, which is a collaborative process, a novel is a deeply personal journey where the author creates the entire world — from characters and emotions to settings and atmosphere — alone.
At first, I struggled with this transition. I once sent my editor a chapter that was mostly dialogue, and she pointed out that I had not described the surroundings, characters’ emotions or details of the scene. I realised there were no actors or production teams to bring those elements to life, I had to do it all myself. Eventually, I adapted and found the process incredibly rewarding. Writing in Balvinder’s first-person voice made the experience deeply personal. I had to capture the language of 1905 while reflecting the perspective of someone whose first language was Punjabi and who spoke English as a second or third language. After spending months in his voice, finishing the book felt emotional, almost like saying goodbye to a close friend.
Finally, what do you hope readers take away from ‘The Great Game' beyond enjoying a compelling mystery?
I hope readers take away from the book is the realisation that Indians have been a part of London’s cultural, social and political landscape for a very long time. I would love people to be surprised by the idea that, more than 120 years ago, Indians were already living in London, contributing to society and operating at the highest levels in fields such as law, medicine, business and public life. This is not something I have created for the story, it is rooted in history.
The Indian presence in Britain goes back centuries. The first Indian restaurant in London, the Hindoostane Coffee House in the 18th century and by the late 19th century, Indians were becoming part of British public life, with figures such as the first Indian MP and other prominent professionals making their mark. There were lawyers, doctors, entrepreneurs and intellectuals who were shaping the communities around them.
For people in Britain, I hope the book reminds them that Indians and the wider diaspora are not recent arrivals but have been part of the country’s story for generations. And for people in India and across the world, I hope it shows that migration is not a modern phenomenon — it is a long, complex and fascinating history. Our communities, cultures and experiences have always been interconnected, and we have been woven into the fabric of global history for centuries.
