Shubhan Dattanand Balvally is an imaginative Indian author whose work boldly explores the intersections of science fiction, history, and national identity. Best known for his ARIHANT series, Balvally crafts stories that blend futuristic technology with deep-rooted patriotism and philosophical inquiry. His narratives are populated with AI warriors, time-traveling scientists, and reimagined historical events—delivering action-packed yet thought-provoking tales. With a strong command of both scientific speculation and emotional storytelling, Balvally has emerged as a unique voice in Indian speculative fiction, inspiring readers to dream beyond the boundaries of time and technology.
The Literature Times: ARIHANT REPROGRAMMED: MISSION MARTYRS combines science fiction with India’s freedom struggle. What inspired you to fuse these two very different themes?
Shubhan Dattanand Balvally: Right through my formative years I was always inspired by our Indian Freedom fighters and their heroic stories where they braved the mighty British Raj and, in the bargain, underwent through hellish torture. I was truly moved by the sacrifices that they made in their personal lives and wanted to pay my respects to these great souls. At the same time, I was highly inspired by Hollywood science fiction movies that portrayed Artificial Intelligence, outer space aliens, superhumans and their state-of-the-art technology. Hence decided to pay a unique tribute to these courageous Indian Freedom fighters by combining the two very different themes of sci-fi and India’s freedom struggle. And that’s how ARIHANT REPROGRAMMED (PART 4): MISSION MARTYRS was born.
The Literature Times: The idea of a twin Earth running three months behind in time is fascinating. How did you come up with this concept, and what scientific or philosophical ideas influenced it?
Shubhan Dattanand Balvally: I had to do tons of research about outer space, different galaxies, parallel worlds before coming out with this outlandish theory! I though of a very uncommon approach to the subject of TIME TRAVEL which has never been written or filmed before. After months of study on THE MULTIVERSE THEORY, MEGAVERSE and TIME TRAVEL, I came up with this incomparable idea!
The Literature Times: ARIHANT and AKSHITA are not just machines—they often seem more human than the people around them. How do you approach writing AI characters with such emotional depth?
Shubhan Dattanand Balvally: Actually people will understand better if they read all the four parts of the ARIHANT Series. ARIHANT is a cyborg who was actually designed by Scientist Satish Ramanna, whose protégé is Suraj Singhania. When ARIHANT was created in Part 1, HE was implanted with three basic emotions – HAPPINESS, ANGER and SURPRISE but devoid of deeper emotions like LOVE or REMORSE. These emotions were retained in HIM as well as HIS colleagues throughout the series with the exception of Part 3, where only ARIHANT is humanized for an important political reason, but the plan backfires and towards the end, HE is transformed back to HIS original form!
The Literature Times: Time travel is a powerful narrative device. How did you handle the ethical and historical implications of altering India’s past in your story?
Shubhan Dattanand Balvally: I had to be extremely careful while altering India’s history because in no way I wanted to undermine the sacrifices that our great Indian Freedom fighters had done. In fact, I wanted to highlight them! Hence the Android army only intervenes, whenever these brave souls are in a sticky spot and then leaves them to fight their battles till they attain freedom from the British Empire. Another reason was that the PART 2 and PART 3 of this series was about ‘Pakistan bashing’. So I decided to write something different than that. And the reality is that the British Empire was the prime reason for the separation of India and Pakistan. So this time, I decided to unite these two neighbouring nations to rightfully bash up their common enemy – The British Empire!
The Literature Times: Your series clearly reflects a strong sense of patriotism. How do you balance national pride with the need to tell a nuanced and inclusive story?
Shubhan Dattanand Balvally: I have always loved the Indian freedom fighters and their patriotic stories. Hence, I always wanted to write a patriotic story that combines the element of science fiction, so that it’s a very unique approach to the subject of PATRIOTISM. And that’s how ARIHANT was born, where the first part is a personal revenge story, which then becomes patriotic in the consecutive parts. In all the four parts of ARIHANT, there is a strong human sub-plot in each of them, connected to the main theme that deftly balances these two elements.
The Literature Times: Suraj Singhania is a recurring central figure in the series. What aspects of his character do you think resonate most with your readers?
Shubhan Dattanand Balvally: As mentioned before, Suraj Singhania is a protégé of Scientist Satish Ramanna, the original creator of ARIHANT. Suraj’s character is there right from the first part but he comes in his element from the 2nd Part and then leads this revolution. Suraj is a kind and a funny person but yet at the same time has the power and conviction to lead many. He is also a family man and genuinely loves his wife Anjali and his foster daughter Ananya. All these qualities about him have definitely resonated with the readers. In the first part, Suraj is a computer science student and provides a comic relief to the otherwise serious revenge story but then in the later parts, he takes on a mature and a challenging role, yet retaining his jocular sense which makes his character well connected with the readers.
The Literature Times: The book touches on advanced technologies like swarm robotics, nanobots, and AI. Do you have a background in science or technology, or do you rely on research and imagination?
Shubhan Dattanand Balvally: The ground reality is that I am an ARTS student graduated from Mumbai University! But I do tons of research on the technology that I want to apply in my novels before I even write one line about it. And then of course, my imagination takes over. I truly believe that RESEARCH aids the POWER OF IMAGINATION in a big way.
The Literature Times: What can readers expect in the next part of the ARIHANT series? Will time travel and historical missions continue to play a role?
Shubhan Dattanand Balvally: Over the years, I have developed two franchises, namely – ARIHANT Series (a patriotic, action packed science fiction series) and the FLOOD OF BLOOD Series (a suspenseful thriller series based in Goa.) Currently I am working on the 3rd instalment of FLOOD OF BLOOD Series. After that, will hopefully come out with yet another unique plot for ARIHANT 5. Hope my vivid sense of imagination will continue to support me!
