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 take 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 primary protagonist. The movies both heart across the physician’s skilled follow or dwell on his/her private love story towards the backdrop of the career. For this submit, 14 movies have been chosen and positioned underneath completely different classes for simple reference.
Biopic:
V Shantaram- Dr Kotnis Ki Amar Kahani (1946)
In all probability one of many earliest movies coping with a physician’s life this movie was directed by V Shantaram. The movie additionally had him enjoying the titular function 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, throughout 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 docs from India voluntarily signed up for the mission and supplied their companies, and Dr Kotnis was one among them.
For 5 years they served tirelessly in cell 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 received married and the next 12 months have been blessed with a son. Sadly, when he began planning his return to his motherland India along with his household, he turned 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, exterior 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 nicely and Shantaram as Dr Kotnis and Jayashree as Qinglan have acted nicely. 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 nice, his mom forces him to marry Nadira, the daughter of the person who had helped Raj Kumar’s household throughout troublesome 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 in a position to alter to his demanding work hours on the hospital nor to his middle-class life-style. She additionally begins suspecting an affair between Raj Kumar and Meena Kumari. Loads of 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 wonderful songs and is an effective one-time watch. Meena Kumari comes up with an excellent efficiency as the girl who refuses to again off and doesn’t cover her emotions for the person she loves. Raj Kumar and Nadira have been additionally nice.
Vyjayantimala- Dr Vidya (1962)
The movie exposes the mentality of our society within the fifties and sixties when western tradition and schooling have been impacting the youth within the cities and in some way the village-folk remained underneath the impression that educated ladies haven’t any morals and values. In our story Vyjayantimala is a city-bred educated woman 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 along 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 title from Geeta to Vidya and pretends to be an uneducated easy village woman. Manoj Kumar falls for this trick and begins liking Vidya kind the time he meets her.
In the direction of the climax, there’s a bullock cart race wherein he will get injured and within the absence of any physician, she is compelled to disclose her identification and has a tricky time convincing the villagers that she is the one one with the mandatory {qualifications} to function on Manoj Kumar. The operation is profitable, individuals thank her however when Manoj involves know that Vidya had been tricking her, he will get very upset. Nevertheless, all the pieces is sorted after numerous mindless melodrama. Manoj Kumar and Vyjayantimala have been nice of their roles. Helen additionally had a significant function.
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 reveals Raj Kumar strolling into the physician’s room along 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 inspecting his stories 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. The whole film is shot indoors throughout the hospital with numerous dramatic scenes and confrontation scenes and even some edgy moments when the 2 of them attempt to hold Raj Kumar from discovering out about their previous in order to not give him any stress 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 may be not one boring second. Songs are excellent and add to the movie’s attraction.
Jeetendra- Parivar (1967)
It is 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 kids. The household is discovering it troublesome 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 coach the individuals 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 resolve to undertake as an alternative of placing stress on Nanda. Jeetendra’s pal 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 pal performed by Sanjeev Kumar is an eye fixed surgeon. Whereas Sanjeev’s sister Simi Garewal goals 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 dwelling 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 dwelling in that severe situation in order that he can stick with it 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 all the pieces and at this weak stage, Simi’s mom forces him to marry Simi they usually begin a loveless life collectively.
Sooner or later 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 fully! On her return to India, when she sees that her husband has remarried and is now blind, she alters her title and provides her companies 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 Crimson Cross and leaves dwelling.
Many issues usually are not logical within the movie however the dramatic story ensured good viewership and the movie was a success with excellent performances from the whole 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. After they meet, she is a medical scholar 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 youngster. Om Prakash suggests they go away to a quiet nursing dwelling run by his pal for the supply. When the kid is born, he lies to her that it had been stillborn. Satirically, Shashi Kapoor has additionally come to the identical nursing dwelling to deal with his mom. When he involves know that Sharmila has given delivery 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 social gathering 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 downside and is assured that along with his therapy and surgical procedure Tito would be capable of stroll and run as nicely.
After a lot melodrama, all the pieces falls into place and Shashi, Sharmila and Tito are united. Sharmila Tagore is proven as a physician solely in two scenes and in some way it made no influence. 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 scholar to the time she reaches the place of a senior surgeon. Throughout this time, she liked 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 finest to remedy her sufferers and making them joyful.
As a medical scholar 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 schooling, she works as a tutor to a younger boy who occurs to be businessman Feroz Khan’s youthful brother. Feroz Khan falls in love along with her and proposes marriage and Rajesh Khanna additionally urges Sharmila to marry him and discover happiness.
In opposition to 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 provides a glimpse into the non-public lifetime of docs as to how generally 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 sensible. 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 docs to remedy such diseases particularly when the sufferers are of their final phases dealing with impending dying.
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 despite the fact that he is aware of he has solely six months to dwell.
The movie is an emotional journey as we change 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 sensible 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 have been donated to offer medical therapy to most cancers sufferers and spastic kids. The heartwarming narrative of the movie touched a chord in each viewer’s coronary heart and supplied useful perception into the lives of most cancers sufferers and their households in addition to the difficulties confronted throughout their therapy. Having personally skilled this ache in his life, Sunil Dutt’s route and performing have been each sensible.
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 depart for India, however she expresses her incapacity to accompany him as her mission in life is to discover a remedy for leukemia and he or she doesn’t need to abandon her analysis. They get divorced.
He returns to India, will get married to Reena Roy, the daughter of one among 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 therapy, docs probability upon a brand new remedy in a journal the place therapy includes a ‘bone-marrow-transplant’ with a donor whose genetic make-up should match with that of the affected person’s, and this therapy was out there solely in a New York hospital.
Sunil Dutt leaves along with his daughter and upon reaching the hospital is each shocked 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 avoided 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 sensible of their roles and youngster actor Khushboo as Sunil Dutt’s daughter was excellent for the function.
Off-beat movies:
Shah Rukh Khan- Pricey Zindagi (2016)
Aside from curing bodily diseases, we also needs to be involved about our psychological well being and this movie successfully conveys the sturdy message that psychological remedy is as necessary 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 influence our lives. Alia Bhatt is a younger, good, artistic, and intensely proficient cinematographer who has goals of creating it large within the skilled world. She has a gaggle of shut pals with whom she hangs out however quickly realizes that she shouldn’t be joyful and her romantic life is an enormous mess. She has hesitation in terms of dedication and he or she additionally has unresolved points along 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 method to resolve them. She begins appreciating life for what it’s and he makes her understand that life shouldn’t be at all times excellent and that we will discover pleasure in these imperfections as nicely.
The significance of counselling periods is projected nicely and since generally all we’d like is a affected person listener who might help us navigate by our emotional mess and stress. Good performances from each Alia and Shah Rukh Khan make this an attractive 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 alternative -Orthopaedics, he’s compelled to take up Gynaecology. He joins the course late and being the one male scholar within the batch makes it worse for him to regulate. He reveals 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 turning into a mature and understanding physician who begins respecting the calls for of the sphere and the religion and belief the sufferers put of their docs. The movie explores the male mindset about girls and Shefali Shah advises Ayushmann that to change into gynaecologist he should let go of the everyday ‘male gaze’, and solely then would his sufferers settle for him. After he performs his first profitable supply and that too a troublesome one, he isn’t solely overjoyed but in addition touched that the dad and mom title the new child youngster after him.
His transformation shouldn’t be 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 just accept a ‘no’ and guarantees to be simply her pal. The movie tries to discover too many issues and the impact is diluted and is okay only for a one-time watch. The most effective performances are from Shefali Shah and Sheeba Chadda who performs Ayushmann’s mom.
Adverse aspect of the career:
Docs are additionally people and never at all times do additionally they adhere to the pious ideas the career requires. There are situations when the physician’s internal conscience and obligation in the direction of the affected person will get changed by greed and a starvation for energy. Listed here are two movies which give attention to the detrimental aspect of the medical career.
Amitabh Bachchan and Vinod Mehra- Bemisaal (1982)
Directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee, this movie had Amitabh Bachchan enjoying a paediatrician, and Vinod Mehra, a gynaecologist. Amitabh is introduced up by Vinod Mehra’s father as his personal son. After they develop up, they each fall in love with Raakhee, however Amitabh sacrifices his love stating his incapacity 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 function although he will get little or no display time).
Amitabh and Raakhee resolve to stay finest pals and he or she marries Vinod Mehra. They open a nursing dwelling collectively and change 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 data and prices hefty charges for a similar.
When Aruna Irani who works as a receptionist discovers this, she informs each Amitabh and Raakhee, and sooner or later issues take a flip for the more serious and one among 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 life collectively and he additionally feels for all the assistance Vinod’s household had achieved 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 wonderful and songs have been additionally fulfilling.
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 top-of-the-line within the medical fraternity and an element proprietor of the nursing dwelling. The nurse on obligation stories 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 knowledge. 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 a substitute of proudly owning as much as his mistake and dealing with the results of his motion, the surgeon threatens all of the junior docs 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 fact 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 youngster. 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 give you wonderful performances. This movie is a should look ahead to the heartwarming story, good route, and the excellent performing by the solid.
[All images are taken from the internet]
