How one of Italy's oldest casinos inspired a book!
The Hindu
Oslo-based Indian writer Atul Koul Randev says he got the idea of his debut book “The Hundred Million Bet” while crossing one of Italy’s oldest casinos during a road trip
Oslo-based Indian writer Atul Koul Randev says he got the idea of his debut book "The Hundred Million Bet" while crossing one of Italy's oldest casinos during a road trip.
Brought out by Srishti Publishers, the novel is about money laundering, mafia and crime.
Mr. Randev says the idea of writing a thriller about gambling and poker struck him during the road trip to Milan.
"On the way to Italy, we crossed Casino di Campione d'Italia, which is one of Italy's oldest casinos. It is built on a little piece of land that technically belongs to Italy but is surrounded on all sides by Switzerland," he says.
"The trapped casino, with a promise of riches, was the first seed. The idea germinated and developed into the whole story from there," he adds.
Caesar, the main character, is rash and addicted to the game, and the story begins with him trying to get out of his addiction to the game by playing one last game, making that one final win, and leaving it all.
Mr. Randev says developing Caesar as a character was quite fun.
With a new government in place in Delhi, Singapore hopes to schedule the Ministerial Roundtable with India shortly, says Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan. In an exclusive interview, he speaks about the impact of the elections on ties, the “missed opportunity” of RCEP and the new buzz around Andhra Pradesh’s capital Amaravati.