Q. The name The Butcher of Benares, makes the book sound like it is more of a historical piece and not crime fiction. What was the thought behind it?
A. I was writing a film script with the same title and approached a lot of film producers, but none showed any interest. So, I started writing this book. The story changed totally from what I had in the film script. And I am a big history lover, so somewhere I have put that into the book. This story is something that is unknown to the common man. So, I turned it into a thriller with historical undertones.

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Q. In the book, crime fiction meets religion and mythology. Was that a deliberate step?
A. It was well-thought of and planned. We have many books on mythology and crime fiction, but none that bring them together in a contemporary setting. So, the setting of Benares, the land of gods and mysticism brings it all together. Some critics have compared me to Dan Brown, I take it as a compliment that I could stand up to that level in my first book.