DOCTOR

”Dr Dang creates war”

In an ideal world, doctors are supposed to be saving lives but delve into Bollywood and the silver screen. You will be scared, surprised and amused by the idea of a doctor doing the opposite. 

Take for example terrorist organization leader Dr Michael Dang, chillingly portrayed by Anupam Kher, in the movie Karma. He terrifies his victims and wants people to respect him out of fear.

Who can forget the dramatic scene when he is slapped by Rana Vishwa Pratap Singh played by Dilip Kumar.

A venomous response is spewed.

”Rana mujhe tumhaara thappad bhoolega nahi” 

(”Rana I will not forget your slap")

He follows with a dialogue that sent shivers down the spine of the moviegoers.

”Iss thappad ki goonj suni tumne, ab tumhe iss goonj ki goonj sunaai degi tumhe zindagi bhar” 

(You heard the echo of this slap, now you will hear the echo of this echo, throughout your lifetime)

However, all ‘unique doctors’ of Bollywood are not evil. Who can forget the kind-hearted ‘Jaadu ki Jhappi’wala Dr Murli Prasad Sharma a.k.a Munna played by Sanjay Dutt in, ’Munna Bhai MBBS.’

His innocent dialogue to his friend and sidekick Sarkeshwar a.k.a. Circuit played by Arshad Warsi, “Do-sau-che type ka sirf haddi hai ... todhne ke time apun log sochte they kya” brought peals of laughter from the audience.

In this movie Dr Jagdish Chandra Asthana brilliantly played by Boman Irani, guffawing his tension through laughter therapy also added to the super success of this Indian medical school spoof film.

There were genuine doctors characters as well. Not all doctors on the screen were ‘hatke’.”.

Who can forget Babumoshai?

This was none other than Dr Bhaskar, the oncologist, played brilliantly by Amitabh Bacchan, treating happy go lucky Anand, played by Rajesh Khanna, for lymphosarcoma of the intestine.

Amitabh remains ever thankful for the doctor's role in the movie as this played a huge role in giving public recognition to him. 

Remember Amitabh Bachchan then went on to become the biggest star of Indian Cinema.

Memory also floats back to Dr Kotnis.

Enacting his life, the Indian double version Hindustani and English, doctor based movie was made way back in 1946. This brilliantly made film was screened in competition at the 1947 Venice Film Festival.

Khwaja Ahmed Abbas’s brilliant story "And One Did Not Come Back"  was dramatised and made for the silver screen. 

Directed by V Shantaram both versions starred Shantaram in the title role. 

It was titled, ’Dr. Kotnis ki Amar Kahani,’ for the Hindustani version. The English version was, ’The Journey of Dr Kotnis.’

The film was based on the life of Indian doctor Dwarkanath Kotnis who worked in China during the Japanese invasion in World War Two.

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Till now I have written about actors who enacted ‘doctors’ roles.

My narrative now moves to a real Indian doctor who enacted other roles on screen.

Born to Balakrishna and Satyabhama in Satara district, Maharashtra, he was the eldest of four children. He attended Bhave High School, Fergusson College (University of Pune) and B. J. Medical College (University of Pune), India and received medical degrees — MBBS & MS

While attending Medical College. he was bitten by the theatre bug. He started acting in plays and through a group "Progressive Dramatic Association", continued his dramatic activity.

Simultaneously he worked and studied further to add another feather in his cap. 

Receiving a degree in ENT Surgery from the University of Mumbai in the early fifties, he set shop and practised in Pune.

This continued for six years before the foreign bug bit him. He wanted to train further abroad. He travelled to England and Canada for this.

Returning to the homeland he practised medicine and surgery in Pune.

For a short period, he travelled to Tabora in Tanzania in the sixties and returned.

However, once back he realised that theatre was his calling in life and finally, in 1969 he became a full-time actor on the Marathi stage. His debut on stage was ’Ithe Oshalala Mrityu’, based on the death of Sambhaji Raje Bhosale.

Now a full-time drama actor in the year 1969, from Vasant Kanetkar's play "Where Death Shied Away" he also played a leading role in the play 'Natsamrat' and was best remembered for that role. 

The stage and the audience were shaken as he orated —

Door vha! Door vha, Sagla nirarthak aahe. 

Jo aaplya jaagi thaam pane ubha aahe toh mee aahe. 

Julius Caesar, Mee aahe Prataprao, Mee Othello, Sudhakar aani Hamlet aani 

Mee Aahe Ganpat Ramchandra Belvalkar, "Natasamrat"

As he had a legendary status in Marathi theatre he gradually migrated to the silver screen where he did many memorable movies which included successes like Sinhasan, Pinjra and Mukta.

The next obvious calling was Bollywood.

He made his footing here as well and was respected for the work he did as he brought his characters on screen to life. 

Over his lifetime he acted in over 250 films including Hindi and Marathi films as well as Hindi, Marathi and Gujarati plays.

He had also directed over 20 Marathi plays.

He was recognised for the Hindi film Gharaonda for which he won the 1978 Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award. 

Aged 92, he passed away on 17 December 2019.

So in his lifespan, in addition to being a doctor as an ENT Surgeon, he was fondly remembered for his character roles in films. 

He was non-other than the Real doctor who dazzled on Reel.

He was Dr Shreeram Lagoo.

 

 

Credits for images and some details -- Internet.