By
Sharada Iyer
Many actors and actresses have portrayed the character of a physician in our movies with conviction and aptitude. This blog-post is an try to have a look at how Bollywood has showcased the medical career of their movies to weave an entertaining and fascinating story the place the physician character-male or feminine, is the principle protagonist. The movies both middle across the physician’s skilled follow or dwell on his/her private love story towards the backdrop of the career. For this put up, 14 movies have been chosen and positioned beneath completely different classes for simple reference.
Biopic:
V Shantaram- Dr Kotnis Ki Amar Kahani (1946)
Most likely one of many earliest movies coping with a physician’s life this movie was directed by V Shantaram. The movie additionally had him taking part in the titular position of Dwarkanath Kotnis. It was primarily based on the real-life story of Dr. Kotnis who was born in Solapur, Maharashtra, India, and accomplished his medical research in Bombay. In 1938, through the Japanese invasion of China, a Chinese language revolutionary chief requested Pandit Nehru for medical help for the Chinese language troopers on the warfront. 5 medical doctors from India voluntarily signed up for the mission and provided their providers, and Dr Kotnis was one in all them.
For 5 years they served tirelessly in cellular clinics, treating the wounded and working upon the troopers and put up with harsh situations and little relaxation. Whereas working there, Dr Kotnis fell in love with a Chinese language nurse- Qinglan. They bought married and the next yr had been blessed with a son. Sadly, when he began planning his return to his motherland India together with his household, he grew to become a sufferer of a sequence of epileptic seizures and died on the younger age of 32 years. To today the Chinese language revere him and there’s a statue erected in his honour, outdoors a college in North China.
For a movie shot in 1946, the crux of the story and the scenes with the wounded troopers are captured effectively and Shantaram as Dr Kotnis and Jayashree as Qinglan have acted effectively. That is in all probability the one biopic made on a physician in Hindi cinema.
Household Dramas:
Raj Kumar- Dil Apna Aur Preet Parayi (1960)
This movie offers with the deep love between a surgeon, Raj Kumar and a nurse, Meena Kumari. Simply when issues appeared to be going positive, his mom forces him to marry Nadira, the daughter of the person who had helped Raj Kumar’s household throughout tough instances when his dad had handed away. She threatens to kill herself if he dared to refuse this marriage.
Meena is shocked on the flip of occasions however her emotions for the physician are removed from dying. In the meantime Nadira could be very sad as she is neither capable of modify to his demanding work hours on the hospital nor to his middle-class way of life. She additionally begins suspecting an affair between Raj Kumar and Meena Kumari. Numerous incidents occur which make him hate Nadira extra and he or she will get extra jealous of Meena Kumari who in flip is evident that she is going to by no means cease loving Raj Kumar. Issues attain a degree when Nadira is able to kill Meena Kumari!
The movie had glorious songs and is an effective one-time watch. Meena Kumari comes up with an outstanding efficiency as the lady who refuses to again off and doesn’t cover her emotions for the person she loves. Raj Kumar and Nadira had been additionally positive.
Vyjayantimala- Dr Vidya (1962)
The movie exposes the mentality of our society within the fifties and sixties when western tradition and training had been impacting the youth within the cities and one way or the other the village-folk remained beneath the impression that educated ladies don’t have any morals and values. In our story Vyjayantimala is a city-bred educated lady and will get married to Manoj Kumar, who’s a zamindar in a village however not educated. Sadly, some incidents that occur just a few days days earlier than the marriage trigger Manoj Kumar to vary his perspective on metropolis ladies and although he goes forward with the marriage, he refuses to even take a look at his bride. He additionally declares that if she decides to remain in the home, he would stroll out.
Vyjayantimala goes again to her dad and mom’ home, pursues her research additional, and turns into a physician. She hatches a plan to win again Manoj’s love. Alongside together with her prepare dinner Sundar and his spouse, she goes again to the village the place Sundar masquerades as the brand new village physician and he or she because the physician’s niece. This manner when the sufferers would come, she would deal with them by Sundar. She alters her identify from Geeta to Vidya and pretends to be an uneducated easy village lady. Manoj Kumar falls for this trick and begins liking Vidya type the time he meets her.
In the direction of the climax, there’s a bullock cart race through which he will get injured and within the absence of any physician, she is pressured to disclose her id and has a troublesome time convincing the villagers that she is the one one with the required {qualifications} to function on Manoj Kumar. The operation is profitable, folks thank her however when Manoj involves know that Vidya had been tricking her, he will get very upset. Nevertheless, every little thing is sorted after lots of mindless melodrama. Manoj Kumar and Vyjayantimala had been positive of their roles. Helen additionally had a significant position.
Rajendra Kumar – Dil Ek Mandir (1963)
Directed by C V Sridhar, on this movie, Rajendra Kumar performs a most cancers specialist and the very first scene exhibits Raj Kumar strolling into the physician’s room together with his spouse Meena Kumari and an expression of shock and shock passes over each Rajendra Kumar and Meena Kumari’ faces. Raj Kumar is affected by most cancers and after analyzing his experiences he’s suggested to get himself admitted for surgical procedure.
Because the narrative unfolds, we perceive that Rajendra Kumar and Meena Kumari had been lovers as soon as upon a time however by a quirk of destiny, by the point he returns from overseas after getting his diploma, Meena Kumari will get married to Raj Kumar. Now that issues having modified between them, she requests Rajendra Kumar to neglect about their previous and put all his focus solely on saving her husband. All the film is shot indoors inside the hospital with numerous dramatic scenes and confrontation scenes and even some edgy moments when the 2 of them attempt to preserve Raj Kumar from discovering out about their previous in order to not give him any pressure earlier than the surgical procedure.
It’s a movie with a tragic ending. Glorious performances from the three protagonists makes this movie a should watch and all credit score to the director and author for the participating screenplay which ensures there’s not one uninteresting second. Songs are very good and add to the movie’s enchantment.
Jeetendra- Parivar (1967)
This can be a uncommon movie of the sixties because it handled the significance and dire want of household planning in our nation and the way each women and men ought to perceive the grave implications of not adhering to the ideas of the strategies concerned. The message of adoption as an choice can also be handled.
The plot is a household drama the place Jeetendra ‘s father Om Prakash remarries after his first spouse passes away and now’s now dad to about 6-7 youngsters. The household is discovering it tough to make ends meet and the stepmother who’s towards Jeetendra from the start manages to throw him out of the home.
He units up his clinic close by and tries to teach the folks and is met with opposition to start with. He marries Nanda who additionally helps him on this campaign and after they lose their very own daughter after two sons, they determine to undertake as an alternative of placing strain on Nanda. Jeetendra’s good friend Rajendranath has 5 daughters and nonetheless yearns for a son. His spouse takes the assistance of Nanda to show him a lesson about household planning albeit with a comic book contact.
Performing by everybody is ok and this was the primary movie of kid actor Mehmood Junior who performs the childhood a part of Rajendranath and seems for simply 10 seconds.
Rajendra Kumar and Sanjeev Kumar- Saathi (1968)
As soon as once more directed by C V Sridhar, on this movie additionally Rajendra Kumar is a surgeon and concerned in analysis on discovering a remedy for most cancers whereas his good friend performed by Sanjeev Kumar is an eye fixed surgeon. Whereas Sanjeev’s sister Simi Garewal desires of marrying Rajendra Kumar, the latter finally ends up falling in love with Vyjayantimala who’s a nurse in his hospital. Quickly Sanjeev leaves for London for additional specialization and Rajendra Kumar and Vyjayantimala get married and even arrange their analysis facility at house in order that she will additionally help and they are often collectively on a regular basis.
Tragedy strikes when Vyjayantimala is identified with congenital coronary heart ailment and to be by her aspect the entire time, Rajendra Kumar now neglects his duties as a physician on the hospital. She runs away from house in that severe situation in order that he can keep on his analysis with none hindrance from her and boards a prepare. The prepare meets with an accident and he or she is regarded as useless. Heartbroken Rajendra Kumar loses curiosity in every little thing and at this susceptible stage, Simi’s mom forces him to marry Simi and so they begin a loveless life collectively.
In the future throughout a tussle between the 2, contents from the analysis desk explode and Rajendra Kumar turns into blind. Vyjayantimala in the meantime had not solely survived the accident however had managed to get handled in Switzerland and recovers utterly! On her return to India, when she sees that her husband has remarried and is now blind, she alters her identify and presents her providers as a nurse to be by his aspect. Sanjeev Kumar on his return to India, manages to carry out a profitable surgical procedure whereby Rajendra Kumar will get his sight again. After a lot melodrama, Rajendra Kumar and Vyjayantimala are united and Simi turns into a volunteer for Purple Cross and leaves house.
Many issues should not logical within the movie however the dramatic story ensured good viewership and the movie was a success with excellent performances from all the solid.
Shatrughan Sinha and Sharmila Tagore -Aa Gale Lag Ja (1973)
That is principally a love story between Shashi Kapoor and Sharmila Tagore with good songs. Once they meet, she is a medical pupil and he’s a ski teacher. Her father Om Prakash doesn’t approve of their relationship and manages to create a misunderstanding between them. He then whisks her away to get her engaged to a budding physician Shatrughan Sinha. After the engagement the latter leaves for America for additional research for seven years.
In the meantime Sharmila involves know that she is pregnant with Shashi Kapoor’s little one. Om Prakash suggests they go away to a quiet nursing house run by his good friend for the supply. When the kid is born, he lies to her that it had been stillborn. Mockingly, Shashi Kapoor has additionally come to the identical nursing house to deal with his mom. When he involves know that Sharmila has given beginning to his son, he begs Om Prakash to let him deliver up his son and to not give him up for adoption.
Seven years later, we’re proven that his son, Grasp Tito, is troubled with an issue due to which he’s on crutches. Future performs unusual video games and Shashi Kapoor will get invited to the celebration to welcome Shatrughan Sinha on his return to India. Sharmila Tagore is Shatrughan’s fiancé and each she and Shashi are shocked to see one another. Shatrughan examines Tito and as luck would have it, had specialised in this sort of drawback and is assured that together with his remedy and surgical procedure Tito would have the ability to stroll and run as effectively.
After a lot melodrama, every little thing falls into place and Shashi, Sharmila and Tito are united. Sharmila Tagore is proven as a physician solely in two scenes and one way or the other it made no impression. Whereas Shatrughan is simply there in order that the kid will get handled in the long run. Decidedly a movie with questionable logic and sense!!!
Emotionally Charged Movies:
Sharmila Tagore and Ashok Kumar -Safar (1970)
The movie narrates the journey of Sharmila Tagore from her days as a medical pupil to the time she reaches the place of a senior surgeon. Throughout this time, she beloved and misplaced two males and endured a lot emotional ache and struggling. However her mentor and senior Ashok Kumar’s recommendation to her is that as a physician she ought to now discover peace of thoughts by doing her greatest to remedy her sufferers and making them joyful.
As a medical pupil she develops emotions for her classmate Rajesh Khanna however as he’s identified of blood most cancers, he doesn’t need her to marry him. In the meantime to fund for her personal training, she works as a tutor to a younger boy who occurs to be businessman Feroz Khan’s youthful brother. Feroz Khan falls in love together with her and proposes marriage and Rajesh Khanna additionally urges Sharmila to marry him and discover happiness.
Towards her needs, she agrees and will get married however their married life is devoid of happiness. After marriage additionally she continues to spend time with Rajesh Khanna and this makes Feroz Khan suspicious of their relationship. Issues take a flip for the more serious. Rajesh Khanna succumbs to most cancers and Feroz Khan takes his personal life. This manner each males die leaving her alone in her journey of life.
The movie offers a glimpse into the private lifetime of medical doctors as to how typically they may very well be coping with their very own private trauma however put that apart after they come to remedy a affected person. Sharmila Tagore is great. Rajesh Khanna, Feroz Khan and Ashok Kumar are additionally good. Songs are excellent.
Amitabh Bachchan- Anand (1971)
Although the movie primarily belonged to Rajesh Khanna who performs a most cancers affected person, Amitabh’s character of Dr Bhaskar Bannerjee aka ‘Babumoshai’ additionally left an indelible mark within the minds of the viewers on this movie. Because the physician who will get emotionally connected to his affected person Rajesh Khanna, he brilliantly portrays the helplessness of medical doctors to remedy such sicknesses particularly when the sufferers are of their final phases dealing with impending loss of life.
The distinction of their personalities makes an attention-grabbing watch. Amitabh is introverted, morose and dejected that there isn’t a remedy for his most cancers whereas Rajesh Khanna is ebullient and energetic and vitality although he is aware of he has solely six months to stay.
The movie is an emotional journey as we turn into a part of the lives of the affected person in addition to the physician who’re each bonded for six months and we’re proven the poignant features of their lives. The performances, the script, the dialogues, the music, and the good route make this one of many best movies made in Hindi cinema and may be watched any variety of instances.
Sunil Dutt and Smita Patil- Dard Ka Rishta (1982)
This movie directed by Sunil Dutt was a tribute to the loving reminiscence of his spouse Nargis who died of most cancers and the earnings from the movie had been donated to supply medical remedy to most cancers sufferers and spastic youngsters. The heartwarming narrative of the movie touched a chord in each viewer’s coronary heart and offered useful perception into the lives of most cancers sufferers and their households in addition to the difficulties confronted throughout their remedy. Having personally skilled this ache in his life, Sunil Dutt’s route and performing had been each good.
Within the movie, Sunil Dutt is a surgeon and his spouse Smita Patil is an oncologist working in a reputed hospital in New York. When he will get the place of Head of the Division of Surgical procedure in Tata Memorial Hospital in Bombay, he’s excited to go away for India, however she expresses her lack of ability to accompany him as her mission in life is to discover a remedy for leukemia and he or she doesn’t wish to abandon her analysis. They get divorced.
He returns to India, will get married to Reena Roy, the daughter of one in all his sufferers however sadly she dies at childbirth. Sunil Dutt brings up his daughter on his personal and when the kid is about 10 years outdated, she is identified with blood most cancers. When she doesn’t reply to any remedy, medical doctors likelihood upon a brand new remedy in a journal the place remedy entails a ‘bone-marrow-transplant’ with a donor whose genetic make-up should match with that of the affected person’s, and this remedy was obtainable solely in a New York hospital.
Sunil Dutt leaves together with his daughter and upon reaching the hospital is each stunned and joyful that Smita Patil can be dealing with his daughter’s case. She finds a donor who’s her personal 14-year-old son. Sunil Dutt finds out the reality that the donor boy is his son however this data had been evaded him due to the divorce. Being siblings, their genetic make-up had matched. Ultimately, after dealing with so many difficulties, all of them come collectively and discover happiness.
Each Sunil Dutt and Smita Patil are good of their roles and little one actor Khushboo as Sunil Dutt’s daughter was excellent for the position.
Off-beat movies:
Shah Rukh Khan- Pricey Zindagi (2016)
Other than curing bodily sicknesses, we also needs to be involved about our psychological well being and this movie successfully conveys the robust message that psychological remedy is as essential as curing a bodily ailment and issues of the thoughts can solely be understood by speaking in regards to the points or issues weighing in a single’s thoughts to a therapist.
Shah Rukh Khan performs the charismatic psychiatrist and Alia Bhatt is his affected person and thru their numerous interactive remedy periods we’re proven how bottling up one’s feelings and fears can actually have an effect on the thoughts and therefore impression our lives. Alia Bhatt is a younger, sensible, artistic, and intensely proficient cinematographer who has desires of creating it massive within the skilled world. She has a gaggle of shut mates with whom she hangs out however quickly realizes that she isn’t joyful and her romantic life is a giant mess. She has hesitation in the case of dedication and he or she additionally has unresolved points together with her dad and mom.
From a reluctant affected person unwilling to share any private element, the periods make her open up and assist her confront her points from the previous and attempt to discover a strategy to resolve them. She begins appreciating life for what it’s and he makes her understand that life isn’t at all times excellent and that we are able to discover pleasure in these imperfections as effectively.
The significance of counselling periods is projected effectively and since typically all we’d like is a affected person listener who may also help us navigate by our emotional mess and stress. Good performances from each Alia and Shah Rukh Khan make this an interesting watch.
Ayushmann Khurrana, Rakul Preet and Shefali Shah- Physician G (2022)
Ayushmann Khurrana has simply given his medical entrance take a look at however as an alternative of getting the topic of his selection -Orthopaedics, he’s pressured to take up Gynaecology. He joins the course late and being the one male pupil within the batch makes it worse for him to regulate. He exhibits neither curiosity nor inclination to study in regards to the topic and this annoys the top of the division, Shefali Shah.
The movie is principally his journey of transformation from somebody who dislikes the topic to changing into a mature and understanding physician who begins respecting the calls for of the sector and the religion and belief the sufferers put of their medical doctors. The movie explores the male mindset about ladies and Shefali Shah advises Ayushmann that to turn into a superb gynaecologist he should let go of the standard ‘male gaze’, and solely then would his sufferers settle for him. After he performs his first profitable supply and that too a tough one, he’s not solely overjoyed but in addition touched that the dad and mom identify the new child little one after him.
His transformation isn’t with out hiccups. Twice his errors land him in bother and he’s pulled up by the medical council and he’s virtually rusticated. He will get romantic emotions for his senior and later shedding his male ego learns to simply accept a ‘no’ and guarantees to be simply her good friend. The movie tries to discover too many issues and the impact is diluted and is okay only for a one-time watch. One of the best performances are from Shefali Shah and Sheeba Chadda who performs Ayushmann’s mom.
Destructive aspect of the career:
Medical doctors are additionally people and never at all times do in addition they adhere to the pious ideas the career requires. There are situations when the physician’s internal conscience and responsibility in direction of the affected person will get changed by greed and a starvation for energy. Listed here are two movies which deal with the unfavourable aspect of the medical career.
Amitabh Bachchan and Vinod Mehra- Bemisaal (1982)
Directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee, this movie had Amitabh Bachchan taking part in a paediatrician, and Vinod Mehra, a gynaecologist. Amitabh is introduced up by Vinod Mehra’s father as his personal son. Once they develop up, they each fall in love with Raakhee, however Amitabh sacrifices his love stating his lack of ability to marry her due to one thing in his previous which is revealed to us a lot later within the movie. That’s once we get a glimpse of his twin brother now confined to a psychiatric hospital (Amitabh in a double position although he will get little or no display time).
Amitabh and Raakhee determine to stay greatest mates and he or she marries Vinod Mehra. They open a nursing house collectively and turn into companions. However Vinod Mehra turns into a modified man when he comes again after a brief stint in America. He begins performing unlawful abortions for wealthy shoppers with out Amitabh’s information and expenses hefty charges for a similar.
When Aruna Irani who works as a receptionist discovers this, she informs each Amitabh and Raakhee, and someday issues take a flip for the more serious and one in all his sufferers dies on the operation desk. The police take away the physique for autopsy and Vinod Mehra is arrested. Now the narrative takes a bizarre flip.
Amitabh sends away Aruna Irani and takes all of the blame on himself in order that Vinod Mehra and Raakhee can have a superb life collectively and he additionally feels for all the assistance Vinod’s household had finished for him, that is the least he can do clear the emotional debt. His medical license is cancelled and he will get 10 years of imprisonment. Although the script didn’t make a lot sense, performing by all of the three actors was glorious and songs had been additionally satisfying.
Kay Kay Menon – Ankur Arora Homicide Case (2013)
This movie is an emotional story with tense courtroom drama occupying a significant a part of the narrative.
An eight-year-old boy Ankur consumes 2-3 biscuits an hour earlier than his appendicitis operation. The operation is to be carried out by Kay Kay Menon, a reputed surgeon and the most effective within the medical fraternity and an element proprietor of the nursing house. The nurse on responsibility experiences this instantly to the surgeon who at the moment is busy on a name and sadly, when he enters the operation theatre, he forgets about this very important piece of data. He fails to carry out a small process to clear the contents of the kid’s abdomen earlier than starting the surgical procedure. This grave negligence on his half makes the kid vomit and go into coma after the operation and he ultimately dies.
As an alternative of proudly owning as much as his mistake and dealing with the implications of his motion, the surgeon threatens all of the junior medical doctors and nurses current within the OT with dire penalties of ending their careers in the event that they dare to report the reality to anybody. However a junior resident of the hospital (Arjun Mathur) suspects that some coverup was occurring and he confronts his girlfriend (Vishaka Singh) who had been within the OT on that fateful day and involves know the reality.
Arjun resigns from his job and vows to reveal the surprising reality of the incident and to unmask the actual face of Kay Kay Menon to the general public and most significantly get a closure for the mom (Tisca Chopra) who deserved to know the reality about her little one. They file a case towards the physician and the hospital. Paoli Dam is the prosecutor on behalf of the mom.
The narrative is taut and the courtroom scenes are spot on. All of the actors are aptly solid and provide you with glorious performances. This movie is a should look ahead to the heartwarming story, good route, and the very good performing by the solid.
[All images are taken from the internet]
