To Dhoni, with Love..!!

Cometh the hour, cometh the Man..!! 

“Dhoniii finishes off in style…Into the crowd and India win the World Cup after 28 years..”   -  These words in Ravi Shastri’s booming baritone still rings fresh in the minds of millions of Indian cricket fans across the globe.  I of course was one of them, jumping off my chair; flaying my hands wildly, pumping my chests like a gorilla and screaming swear words into the sky at the top of my lungs to no one in particular.  Yes, that was the effect exactly 365 days ago when Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni nonchalantly helped his country lift the coveted World trophy and soothe many an Indian heart with joy and pride.   With it also came a feeling of relief, on finally getting there, which we Indians had been waiting for so long.  And if there was one man we should be thankful to for getting us that, it is MSD. Yes, it’s without a doubt that the Sachins, the Yuvrajs the Zaheers and Gambhirs made the core but without Dhoni at the helm, the dream perhaps would have continued. It’s rather sad that people here forget very easily and love to bring people on top right to the ground.

However, I would forever be grateful to the man for giving so many wonderful memories over the years to cherish. I shall not waste my time here in comparing him with other ‘greatest’ Indian captains. Neither will I take a list of Dhoni’s achievements and babble over it. It’s been done to death with and frankly I am bored with the same old debates.  For me, Dhoni remains one of the most enigmatic people that I have known and have gotten inspired by. More than his skills as a batsman or as a captain it is his thought process and the simplicity with which he looks at things that bowls me over. The clarity of thought, the willingness to accept mistakes and the courage to take on challenges is what makes him different and unique. Yes it’s true that he has made errors in the past few months, has look tired and jaded; but there are obvious reasons for that too.  In the aftermath of India’s horrendous run  last few months , the one thing that stands out is in the is the way Dhoni has remained calm and silent. He has taken the brickbats head on.  

People in India love to hate. And Dhoni unfortunately is finding himself at the wrong side of people’s ire at the moment. It’s a pity they forget how much he has done for the country as a captain, as a player and merely with his presence.  His decision to send himself up on the finals of the World Cup was heroic to say the least; the rest of course is history.  More recently, when he declared on how he is planning to retire by 2013 so that the next wicket-keeper who comes in would have ideal time to fit in for the next World Cup is laudable indeed. That speaks of his loyalty and foresightedness. There are several more examples which can be noted down here, but that pehaps would take a book to write. 

No matter how many people keep criticizing him, Dhoni would keep going for as long as he loves.  I am sure there are people who still love him. I sure am one of them. It would be difficult to imagine life without Dhoni, as he is a frequent topic of hot conversations between me and my pals. Plus he has given me as a writer, lots to think and write about. I hope someday I would get to meet him personally. That is current a highly cherished dream of mine. Lastly though, I would just like to thank him for the impact he has had on me, for inspiring me and for all those wondrous and lifelong moments. 

Thank you MSD. This is one of your most loyal fans giving you a grand salute on the eve of the anniversary of our World Cup victory. No matter what the future holds for you..I would keep standing by your side....  Keep rocking… Bas ‘Dho’ daalo ….

To 'Q' or not to 'Q'...!!

As one enters the dimly lit room, cuss words and the choicest expletives stand out tall in the wall that is decorated with haphazardly created graffiti. The smoke swirls emanating from his cigarette die down and you can see the wise looking face of Kaushik Mukherjee aka Q the Kolkata based director who made waves last year for his explicitly shot and in your face film ‘Gandu- the Loser’. Having directed a bunch of ‘different’ films for about a decade, which chose a different path, yet failed ‘Gandu’ propelled him unexpectedly into the limelight.  37 year old Q is now making full use of his new found popularity and trying to make more ‘path-breaking’ and different films to satiate his creative buds to the T.

However, not much is known of this ‘rebel’ like director who chooses not to talk about his past or his background as he considers them ‘inconsequential’.  He just wants to be Director Q.  Why choose such a weird name though? “Q is basically a character which I created. When I started making these films I realized Kaushik Mukherjee wasn’t making them. I had to create a film-maker. I wanted to be reborn and so I created Q.” explains Q.  Another source where he got inspired from was Japanese director Takameshi Mike’s Visitor Q, where a troubled family find their lives intruded by a mysterious stranger who seems to help find a balance in their disturbing natures. “I felt like the central character and thought that let me be that trouble maker.”  he further adds.

Q started his career in an advertising agency in his mid 20s but gradually got bored with it and wanted to explore different fields. Film-making was something which always intrigued him, but since he didn’t have any professional education in it he had no idea how to go about it. It was in Sri Lanka where his advertising career had taken him, that he finally got the answers to his queries. “I was exposed to a completely different value system .I realized that there was a completely different kind of cinema that was happening that never comes to India. My exposure to these forms made me realize that I too could make films like these.”  reminisces Q.

For five – six years he developed this craft inspired by many famous filmmakers across the globe and after that finally entered the field by making short films and documentaries. Some of them which got noticed were Le Pocha(2004) a short documentary , a short film That Boy (2009), the critically acclaimed Bissh (2009) and the award winning documentary feature Love in India (2009).

However it was with ‘Gandu’ that the long and hard journey of about 11 years finally reaped him some rewards by getting him noticed all over. The unexpected wave that it created took even the the makers by surprise.  “We never thought that Gandu would release in India. We never looked at Indian popularity, but somehow its trailer got leaked and a wave was created soon afterwards. Whoever leaked the trailer did us a huge favour really.” he says candidly. ‘Gandu’  incidentally had extreme reactions in India. While some people loved it for its narrative style, many where completely appalled by its representation of in your face sex.  So was the crude use of sex deliberate? To catch eyeballs? “See, we are basically provocative people. Gandu isn’t even half as provocative as we all are. We see a lot of such stuff all day but refuse to talk about it openly. I put all of those in ‘Gandu’. If some found it bothersome. That’s fine by me. You needn’t watch it.”  he says shrugging his shoulders and blowing another puff of smoke into the room. So doesn’t it bother him that perturbed by his film’s content a particular section of the audience might ignore his works? Q has his own aboveboard take on that too. “Who gives a f***. Target audience is a myth. It works for guys like Yash Raj. We are throwing a stone, wherever it hits, it’s a good thing.”   

More than this ‘don’t care about the world’ attitude the thing that intrigues many about him  is on how Q is suddenly become sort of a trendsetter by depicting these sex scenes in most of his films in such a straightforward manner. How does he manage to convince his actors to enact such scenes then? “That too has a process. Like for ‘Gandu’ we conducted severe workshops for about a month.  This consisted of a hardcore theatre form developed by Jerzy Grotowski (Polish theatre director and innovator of experimental theatre); where actors just loose themselves completely and after four hours of training they don’t care what is happening to their bodies.”   explains Q.

Post the success of Gandu, Q and his small team has got the much needed impetus that was required for them to move forward with their future projects. Q has his own small production unit now, Overdose Joint, which is trying in earnest to keep making different kinds of cinema. They are planning to collaborate with many production houses from all over the country to make different- genered films and documentaries. That is his real motive for now; to not fall into the commercially driven path and try and create some real and diverse cinema.

His immediate project is Tasher Desh ( Land of Cards ) which is about to hit the screens in a few months time.  Based on a popular children’s play by legendary Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore by the same name, Tasher Desh would be Q’s most commercial venture as yet. It’s a story where a prince and his friends go for an adventure.  “I was never fond of Tagore. But Tasher Desh was the only one I liked. Nobody took Tasher Desh seriously for all this while, which has given me an opportunity to explore. I decided to give it my own version and completely f*** it up.”  Q explains with a glint in his eye and sipping black coffee.

The thing that makes Q unique is his no hold barred film-making approach and the daring to explore the path that conventional filmmakers in our country hesitate to take. He’s been working with the same small unit for a very long time that includes his long time girlfriend and actress Rii and Tolly actor Joyraj Bhattacharjee who have been a pillar of strength for him.  Joyraj who besides acting in most of Q’s films also doubles up as his production designer, is all praises for the director. “I have been working with Q for about 10 years now and can safely say that we understand each other very well and don’t have to verbally communicate every time. I have a lot of respect for him as I believe that in Bengal he has changed the scenario of film-making altogether. He really is a path-breaker. He failed initially, but never gave up. That’s what’s inspiring about him.”  says Joyraj .

Despite the initial failures however Q is happy to announce that he has his kitty full with upcoming projects, both under his direction and many under his production house.  Besides Tasher Desh there is The Greater Elephant by Mumbai based film-maker Srinivas Sundarajan , a docu-feature called Sari and many others.

As the interview is about to wind up Q is busy on his phone and making constant instructions to his production unit, before finally settling down to give me a last word. As I congratulate him one final time for his new found success he surprises us again. “I am no one buddy. You should focus more on many alternative people who are out there surviving a tough life. Kolkata itself has many poets, little magazine owners who despite many adversities somehow manage to survive. That’s the real vibe of India. Focus on them. Films can never have that.”  he says nonchalantly.  Before I try and register how to go about his advice, he just smiles and says, “It’s just you buddy. How tough is it? If you seriously want to do something, you would go ahead and do it.”  That’s Q for you, no holds-barred and in your face, just like his films. 

 (This story was originally published in 'the Good News Chronicle'.. You can read it by clicking here )

The Giant shall return...!!

"Dark and difficult times lie ahead...Soon we shall all have to face a choice; between what's right..And what is easy..!! " - Albus Dumbledore in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

A funny version of myself from a very lovable friend 

It’s been quite some time since I wrote in this blog of mine. The reasons have been quite varied really. From fighting inner demons to other stuff I did not have any control of. But in the end it was I, who was the loser. I felt I have been cheating on my blog. It was because of this blog of mine, and its few dedicated readers that I am what I am today. It has played a huge part in building my career, and somehow I just ignored it. Not a wise thing to do isn’t it??

No matter what personal battles you might be going through, you should never lose yourself. But what happens when you try real hard, but your mind doesn’t let you win? When you try hard but words don’t come out the way you want to? When the environment you once cherished being in suffocates you to breathe freely and be yourself. It’s all in the mind they say. True. But not every time. However, what’s done is done. It’s time to move on.

And that is why I write this today. I remember the first post in my blog about a year and half back. I wrote a short note before launching into the real stuff. Back then, I had no idea how I would manage it, and how would I get the readers for it. But things fell in place. Because I tried. So, before going into the real kind of stories, sarcastic articles et al, I write this to lighten myself up for the bigger things. This is what you can call the beginning or the continuation of a new chapter.

These last three years have been unexpectedly extraordinary. I found myself in it and also my career. Found people who inspired me and many from whom I learnt a lot from. Spent the most memorable and exciting days of my life. And more than anything else, found two of the best people I have ever come across who completely changed my life in the most positive way without really intending to. I will forever be indebted to them. We are all professionals in our own worlds, but there are times when you forget to appreciate the kind of beautiful people you have with you who have made your life so much better and a happier place to be in. So here’s saying to both of them on how much I love them and no matter wherever I go the love for them would always run deep. I will make mistakes yes, maybe hurt them. But never do so intentionally and would always try and figure out how to be the good friend I can be for them.

Oh and there are others too. Many really. New people are coming in and joining too, who keep making my life extra beautiful and special. So please, be there with me. That’s all I want to say for now. It’s nice to be a little expressive sometimes. We are all emotional in our own ways. Some like to express it some don’t. Anyways, so I am feeling lighter already. 

From now, I will try and be as regular as I possibly can. For myself more than anything else. It’s essential for my survival. To not lose my touch, and keep walking on the path that I once chose and love.  To reignite my passion, which is there all right but somehow had simmered down. Its time to return.

The mind is made up. Some tough decisions would follow, and hopefully I would keep standing tall (no pun intended) at the end of it. My mind goes back again to a famous line from the Harry Potter pages which usually inspire me and goes like this, “What has to come will come.. And we shall all have to face it when it does...”  So true and amen to that.

Now stand aside you mere mortals. The ‘Giant’ is rising again. …!! 

TWO-WOMEN ARMY

The image of a typical woman in Saudi Arabia is an oppressed and coy lady draped in the Abaya (the traditional Arab cloak). However, two women, Dania Nassief and Danya Alhamrani, have been able to break the stereotype to some extent. With their steely determination to add some value to the society they've starting producing incisive documentaries that examine social, cultural and religious issues. As the founders of Eggdancer Productions, a Jeddah-based  independent film and TV production company, they've shown the courage create something exceptional as opposed to run-of-the mill progarms. Incidentally Eggdancer is the first production company in Saudi Arabia to be owned and managed entirely by Saudi women (they had to petition the government to change a rule that mandates a man to run a company).


Dania is widely regarded now as an independent visionary producer who has worked on a variety of projects. Dania Graduated in 2002 from University of Southampton,UK with an MSc. Degree in Information Systems majoring in e-business/e-commerce. On the other hand Danya has been directing television shows and documentaries from the last seven years. In 2006 she co-founded Eggdancer Productions, with Dania. Her most recent projects include the documentary film ‘The Old City of Jeddah’ and the documentary series Akla Wa Hikaya (A Meal and a Story)-- a food and culture series that explores traditional Saudi cuisine. Her documentaries, The Straight Path and Ramadan, aim to educate an international audience on Islam and Muslim life.

They further came into the limelight when they were featured in Travel Channel’s (a famous US-based travel programme) “No Reservations” program, which featured renowned chef Anthony Bourdain.

In her first interview to an Indian media house, Danya Alhamrani spoke to yours truly sharing her views on the kind of work they do, the challenges they have to face in a conservative society, and the future of her country in the Arab spring.

Q.1 : What inspired you to create Eggdancer Productions?

DANYA :  After working in the production field for a few years in Saudi Arabia I realized that I was working on projects that didn’t interest me. So I decided to start my own production company to work on projects I enjoyed. That’s how we started Eggdancer Productions.


Q.2 : How did the association with Dania happened?

DANYA :  Dania and I have been friends since high school. After teaching in a private college for five years she was looking for a change. I asked her if she wanted to partner with me and start a production company together to combine our skills of arts and management. She agreed and that’s how we became business partners.

Q.3 :  What are the challenges you had to face in setting the company?

DANYA : Setting up our company took longer than we expected. We were surprised to see that we needed to have a man as our managing director!  We petitioned the government and got and exception and are now able to run the company ourselves.


Q.4 : What kind of films have you made till now at Eggdancer Productions? What is your future project?

DANYA : We work on documentary films and TV series.  We have produced a documentary series Akla Wa Hikaya (A Meal and a Story), which aired on Saudi TV, explored the different regional foods in Saudi Arabia, and the TV series Fattabiouni highlighted some of the teachings of the Prophet Mohamed (PBUH) using animation and kinetic text. We have also produced segments for ZDF in Germany called    “Herrscherhäuser aus 1000 und einer Nacht (Dynasties of 1001 nights” highlights issues of press, employment and women in the workplace in Saudi Arabia) and a film for BBC called “The River Flows West( tells the story of the Muslim empire. It begins at the time of the prophet Mohamed PBUH and takes a journey into modern times.)

We are currently in production on two documentary features: “Jeddah: The Old City”(a documentary highlighting the historical city of Jeddah) and “Let Me Entertain You”.
In the future we hope to continue our work in documentary as well as work on shorter projects for online digital distribution.  

Q.5: How was your experience of working with Anthony Bourdain like ? How did you get to meet him ?

DANYA : Working with Anthony Bourdain and his entire team was a pleasure. It’s wonderful when you are working with professionals and still have a relaxed feeling on location.  I met Bourdain through the Fanatic special that they were working on when I was chosen as the winner of the competition.


Q.6.: What do you feel about the status of the women in Saudi Arabia?

DANYA : The status of women is constantly evolving in Saudi Arabia.  There are opportunities now that didn’t exist for women 10 or 15 years ago.


Q.7. : Being women yourself, didn’t you face any opposition from your family when you decided to get into film production? What has their role been in all this?

DANYA : Things have changed so much since we were younger. People regarded filmmaking as a hobby without a future. But today many young people are going into filmmaking these days. I struggled a lot when I was younger to convince people that this was something I wanted to do with my life and that it wasn’t just a fleeting passion. It took me a very long time to get to where I am today--a full time filmmaker.

In many ways being a woman it is easier pursue what is regarded as an alternative career, because we are not expected to support a family financially.

Q.8. :  Both of you have been educated in Western countries. What was your experience like there? What difference do you see in the way they perceive women and their rights?

DANYA : Contemporary Western media has a tendency to portray Arab, Muslim women as oppressed. The opinion of the average person becomes a reflection of that portrayal. This encourages us as filmmakers to try to reveal the reality of the participation of women in our culture to the development of our societies. We also think it is important to represent the extreme diversity of women in our country. There is no one voice of a Saudi woman and this is something that we continually are trying to raise awareness about.

Q.9. : What are your future plans? How do you plan to enhance the image of Saudi Arabia to the world through the medium of your films?

DANYA : We feel we have a pivotal role to play in transforming stereotypical representations of Arabs and Muslims in the media. We have the opportunity to tell our stories in our own voices, instead of having people with little understanding of our religious and cultural backgrounds speaking for us and telling local stories through “Western” eyes.

  

Rebel with a cause

Esther Friede in traditional Indian attire at her Ashram in the 80s. 

A trip to the holy city of Haridwar in India is generally considered by many to wash off their sins. Not many however, know that amidst the dusty lanes of this sacred place lies an untold story of unique bravado and selfless devotion. Esther Friede is a Canadian woman, who has devoted nearly fifty years of her life to India;  yet currently she finds herself waging a lonely battle against the ruthless land mafia and conniving politicians who threaten to eat up the Ashram she so lovingly built up with her Guru.

Born to a simple middle class Jewish family Esther’s love for spirituality and the beauty of the country led her to India and devote her love to build up an ashram.  She had no inkling however, that her devotion would be tested decades later as she gets embroiled in murky political affairs to save that very ashram.

Esther left for India from her native home in Toronto in 1965, following in the footsteps of her Guru Swami Devananda, whom she had met at a college lecture. She was immediately taken in to his teachings and philosophy and decided to help him set up an Ashram in India.  “There are certain feelings, interests and attractions that come from deep within. Since I was a child and before I could do anything independently from my parents, I had an attraction to India, Indian things, Indian philosophy, Indian dress, long before it became popular in the west. ” says Esther

Esther with the then Indian PM Mrs. Indira Gandhi

Despite her parent’s vehement protests, she went on to stay in India, and kept coming back and forth.  At that time Esther and her Canadian friend Margaret Annie Sosney helped Swami Devananda and ably assisted him with the setting up of the Ashram.  The 1971 India-Pakistan 17-day war that saw the secession of East Pakistan from Pakistan and the creation of Bangladesh was the time that Esther arrived in India for the setting up of the Ashram. The announcement of the beginning of the war came as they were in mid-flight and for a while the Ashram dream did seem difficult but with the help of some willing people including the then Pm. Smt. Indira Gandhi, the Sri Swami Devanandaji Bharat Bhakti Yoga Ashram was formally established in Haridwar in 1972. It is also been a registered society under the Indian Societies Registration Act of 1860 since 1974.

 After years of hardships Esther with her Guru and other willing Canadian members of the society, developed and maintained the ashram, which organized a literacy program for children. The idea of the literacy program was to offer basic literacy and numeracy for a few hours a day for girls who did not attend regular schools. In the literacy program, everything was free. Classes went up to grade 6 standard. The children were given uniforms and provided milk and food. In 1976, Mr. and Mrs. Leishman, the other members of the Canadian society came from Canada to settle at the ashram in India to look after the affairs of the ashram and maintain its literacy program, which they later named Prod Shiksha Kendra.  After 12 long years of service they finally decided to retire and had to look for some other able person to look after the affairs of the Ashram.

In between all this Esther had to take care of her professional life as well.  She went on to complete her university studies later in life, earning her Masters in Psychology while she was working for MNCs in the IT industry .She eventually established herself as a psychotherapist at Multifaith Spiritual and Religious Coordinator in Canada. Though she says, she did lose her interest in India, but it was her love and dedication for her Guru, who passed away in 2000, that made her build the Ashram affectionately. However murkier things were taking place there without her knowledge.

It was because of her frequent travels and non-availability in the ashram that the problem started. A particular manager whom the Ashram had entrusted the managerial duties in the late 80s allegedly used the ashram for his own greed.  As Esther explains, “Migrant labourers were given places to set up their tents for fees that were also pocketed. The Ashram rooms were rented to people and the rent collected was not reported. The school suffered due to constant neglect and would have closed doors if it were not for the dedication of the two teachers who were determined to carry it on. The milk from the gaushala( cowshed) of the ashram too was being sold instead of being given to children.”   In 2005, she got an anonymous phone call from India saying if they wanted to save their land, they should come immediately.   “So, when I arrived, I found out that he had been visiting the registry office trying to claim ``squatter`s rights`` of the land, saying he(the manager) was living here and farming the land and it should be his. “ claims Esther.  After some discussions and disagreements with the Ashram members the manager who was allegedly involved in the scheme of things was finally fired from the Ashram.

That however, was only the beginning of the problems.

The manager immediately went into cahoots with the land mafia and the case erupted to dangerous proportions. A supposedly powerful criminal with quite a few criminal records against his name is now posing as the secretary of the society and submitted 35 years of documents in an application to renew the society registration. In his documents, he claims to have account statements and meeting minutes in which all the original members of the society resigned. Hearing of this, last year Esther paid a visit to the office of the Sub-registrar of Societies and presented him with evidence, in person, that these documents were a fraud, stating that she had never resigned.    The claims over the ashram are now dragging in court. The manager along with his partners has recently filed 3 court suits against the Ashram people.

Esther in turn has hired a local lawyer in her defense in civil court.  She also hired a lawyer for the Nainital High Court who has filed a writ petition against the Deputy Registrar, Firms, Societies and Chits of Haridwar, the Registrar of Firms, Societies and Chits, Dehra Dun. She has also lodged FIRs against the members of the land mafia whose names are known and the former manager who she claims passed along all their information to the land mafia for 420, 467, 468, 471, 452, 504, 506 and 341 IPC (Indian Penal Code) in the local Haridwar police station and hired a lawyer to conduct the criminal cases.

“I have ample evidence in pictures, correspondence, financial bank statements, copies of wire transfers of funds, and cancelled cheques. There is no shred of evidence that anything they have presented to the registrar’s office has a basis in reality.”  says Esther confidently.

She has even been receiving regular death threats, but that does not deter her from her cause, i.e. the rightful protection of the Ashram.   Nearing her 70s Esther might be physically weak, but her determination to fight till the end still remains as robust as ever.

So what drives her?  “This is a sacred site for me as it is my guru`s ashram.  It is also where I spent my formative early adulthood with my guru, so I think there is a lot of sentiment. I also don`t like to give up on a dream so there is the feeling of perpetual hope against odds.”   she says a touch emotionally.   She goes on to add in a somewhat determined tone, “I am motivated by the idea of fighting for what is right and exposing corruption.  I would, if it is possible, like to make the land mafia schemes so public that they will back off. I am hoping that they will give up but if they don`t give up voluntarily, they will be forced to back away by other means. I almost feel like what is happening here is a microcosm of what is going on all over India. I don`t understand how India can let this kind of thing run rampant without punishing the people involved in this racket and those who collude with it .”

All this negativity does bring in frustration and at times she does want to quit but what keeps her going as she proclaims is “to stand up against what I consider to be adharma” ..

Friends and family get concerned for her and then like a close friend of hers  says, “ I call her and tell her many a times , you can`t change India – it is what it is – just get out or go take a trip somewhere that you will enjoy – enjoy the good parts of India” . There are others too who warn her of the inherent danger, but Esther would rather die than just give up.

She could have easily packed of her bags and lived a peaceful existence in her own country. But she wasn’t willing to risk the children in the ashram get embroiled in the imbroglio. As she says there is lots to be done still with the development of the ashram and the children who need their services.  She cannot stay away from the place of her guru and the land where she attained all her spirituality.

There is a lot than can be learned from a person like Esther Friede.  A person who has no roots in India, and yet is fighting for her place in a way a mother protects her child. 

Esther’s story can perhaps be best summed in her parting words, “What is true and good must be fought for – one can`t expect it to prevail if one is not ready to stand up for it. We don`t lead a spiritual life just to meditate and see the Light within.  We need to uphold the Light for all of society by doing what we are called to do in our own life.” 

(I came into contact with Esther via my journalist friend Sumantra Maitra . You can read his take on the story here.  ) 

(To read my latest interview with Esther, please click here.)

The Lone crusader- The Dr. Kunal Saha story

Myself with Kunal Saha (left) at the Kolkata Press Club

The dingy room offers a complete contrast to the man sitting in the centre. Clad in a bright orange shirt he wipes his forehead off the sweat, and continues to address the small group of reporters congregated there. Dr. Kunal Saha is very animated as he explains the intricate details of his case to the group in The Press Club of Kolkata. The motive of the press conference was to expose the rampant corruption in the West Bengal Medical Council (WBMC), in relation to the death of Mrs. Anuradha Saha, Saha’s wife, in 1998 due to an alleged medical ‘negligence’. Dr Saha has been fighting the Indian medical and judicial system since the last thirteen years to get justice for his wife. He has virtually been a lone fighter and is continuing his fight against the system relentlessly.

Now Kunal Saha is back in the news as a High Court judgement a few weeks back indicted 17 doctor members of the West Bengal Medical Council for criminal conspiracy and shielding doctors responsible for the death of Anuradha Saha. Furthermore,  last month a case has been filed against a retired High Court Judge where the Supreme Court condemned him for making defamatory statements against Kunal Saha. 

“I am not fighting for myself. It’s for Anu(Anuradha) and as well as many others like her,” says the gritty man with a simple smile, making one realize that no matter what adversities one might face, we should never give up hope.

The beginning and the love story

Born in Halisahar (a city in the North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal), in 1958, to a large family, Dr Kunal Saha graduated from NRS Medical College, Kolkata in 1985 and then went on to America for his further studies. He did his PhD from the University of Texas, is now an MD and specializes in HIV/AIDS research.

It was in 1985, that he met Anuradha, that too by sheer co-incidence, and then their story unfolded almost like a Bollywood love story. Saha, after having missed a train to Delhi, had to board another train where he met Anuradha. That meeting led to a brief courtship that blossomed into a marriage in 1987. The next backdrop of what looked like a perfect boy-meets-girl story shifted to the US as the couple moved there to complete their medical education while chasing the great ‘American Dream’. Things went perfectly well for a decade as Anuradha went on to become a child psychiatrist while Kunal kept growing in his medical career before finally getting his fellowship from Ohio in 1998. It was at this time that the couple decided to start the new phase in their life by planning a family. Packing off their stuff to Columbus they decided to visit India once; Anuradha once wanted to visit her mother to take her blessings, before starting off the new phase.

Everything seemed perfect, for the fairy-tale story.

But Saha had no inkling on what was coming and how his life was about to change forever in the next few days.

The tragedy and the fight

It was during their short visit to Kolkata that Anuradha developed a simple skin rash from an allergic reaction to a drug. For treatment she consulted Dr. Sukumar Mukherjee, who was quite well known as one of the best doctors in the city. Dr. Mukherjee advised a drug called ‘Depomedrol’ , in a manner which was truly baffling.  'Depomedrol' is a long standing drug normally used for extreme cases of asthma or arthritis, and  given at a maximum dose of 40-120 mg at 1-2 weeks interval. However, Anuradha was given that about 15 times it's normal usage. 

Her condition worsened alarmingly since then and she was eventually shifted to Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai. A few day later, she breathed her last.

Saha with his wife Anuradha  in happier times 

“I am a doctor myself, when I was told about this I was in a daze standing outside the hospital room. I knew she was dead, but refused to believe it. When I entered the room, I saw the monitor was blank, but, maybe I was hallucinating, as I saw her sitting there and talking to me..Just telling me, that don’t give up Kunal...Don’t you ever give up...”, says Saha a little emotionally. He was distraught after the incident.  All their plans and dreams shattered in a matter of days.

It would have been normal to go into a shell, and move on to his normal life. But Kunal Saha didn't and decided to fight it out; to take on the doctors who were responsible for his wife’s death.

However, that wasn’t to be easy. Saha soon realized that there is a whole nexus that is being maintained. The fact that he filed a criminal case against Dr. Sukumar Mukherjee and two other accused Doctors (Dr. Baidyanath Halder and Abani Roychodhury), would amount to nothing. As Saha says, the High Court rejected his appeal and the doctors roamed free continuing with their jobs normally. “I could see the jigsaw unfolding before my eyes and I understood that the doctors were being backed by the West Bengal Medical Council (WBMC) who in turn were supported by the Medical Council of India (MCI). It was obvious that there was a whole network at place here, and even if one of the biggies went down the whole system would be affected, more names would spill out; thus the backing and brushing up of things under the carpet," he says.  Clearly Saha now had to fight the entire medical system in the country. However Saha was not to give up so easily.

On 30th December 2001 he went on to form People for Better Treatment (PBT), in Kolkata; an organization whose main aim is to eradicate medical negligence and promote corruption-free healthcare in India. This is what gave Dr. Saha’s fight the impetus he was so desperately seeking.  Under the PBT’s wings, with efficient people under him, Dr. Saha restarted his fight against the doctors and refiled his case in the apex court.  Thus commenced a long ranging fight, and in a historic judgment on 7th August 2009 the Supreme Court  found four doctors and Advanced Medicare Research Institute(AMRI) guilty on accounts of negligence in medical treatment which eventually led to Anuradha Saha’s death.

It was a significant step in Saha’s fight. However, strangely enough, the medical practicing right of the doctors was not snatched and neither were they jailed or sentenced.  This soured Saha's small success somewhat. As he dug deeper, more names kept tumbling out and the fight continues to date.

The cause, the solution and the hope

“I am part of the problem too. I was selfish. Until it happened to me it didn’t bother me," says the man with grim honesty.  But nevertheless he feels that more than the solidarity shown to him by some of the doctors, he would rather prefer them to give them their support in person, as it would make his case look much stronger. But no one wants to take the risk.  So how do we change all this? What can be the solution?

The main problem, says Dr. Saha, is the whole administration which needs an overhaul and more importantly the mentality of the doctors and the entire medical system.

Says Kolkata based physician D.P. Mullick, “Dr. Saha is not just fighting for his wife, this is a fight for every citizen who does not want to have a similar fate. It is the responsibility of the medical authorities and the state to take care of the patients. Unfortunately in today’s age that does not happen. Hopefully Saha’s fight would change that and make our medical system more accountable.”

Being an American citizen as well, Dr. Saha understands the basic difference between the two systems. “In America there is accountability, and humanity when treating their patients,” informs Saha. Furthermore he says that before the medical system the Indian judiciary too needs reformation to support the people in getting justice done effectively.

However he is getting some support from different quarters as senior Kolkata lawyer Mr. Alok Mitra says, “Dr .Kunal Saha’s case is a good case.I believe under the circumstances and considering the facts of the situation, we can expect some positive outcome of the judgment."

Kunal Saha thus still harbours hope that things will change eventually, and he along with PBT will try and make this country clean of similar cases like his.

The Fight continues…

Cases like Dr. Saha's are extremely rare; someone who has fought for 13 years relentlessly, and intends to do so till his last breath.  Staying in America, doing his research in HIV/AIDS, coming here regularly for his case, and managing the affairs of PBT too must be taxing, mentally and physically, but Saha finds his motivation; his love for his wife.  “For me Anuradha can never be dead. I have a big house there in America, and she stays with me.  Our meeting was a pre-scripted story; it was destiny. As if someone wanted me to do this. If I win this case it would perhaps set an example for others to be careful about. I hope I can just make this country a better place, so that children won’t have to die unnecessarily due to some ignorant people. Anuradha always wanted that,"says Saha .

While we wait for the Supreme Court Judgment and hope that it goes in the right direction, one thing is for certain, that Kunal Saha will not give up.  He is already turned into an inspirational figure for many suffering from fate similar to his.

Dr. Saha can be described both as the man who fought the system and the husband who loves his wife and is trying to bring her justice. One can learn from people like him, that no matter what we should never give up hope.  No matter what we should  keep fighting; until the very end. 

Arrival of a ‘true’ Star

After coming into journalism I have been writing vigorously on varied topics for the last two and half years. This blog of mine too has been changing its colours (and I don't mean the layout) since the time I wrote the first post. I generally wrote on topics which interested and intrigued me. However, it’s been quite surprising that I haven’t written anything related to cinema, given how closely and ardently I follow it. (Thanks primarily to a certain best friend of mine, who ensures that I watch almost every film roll that hits the projectors in a cinema hall). Today, however I decided to jot down my thoughts after going through an exhilarating experience in the theatres and watching a true star stamping his place in Indian cinema with a stunning performance which leaves you asking for more. Ranbir Kapoor has arrived people, and is here to stay… Big time…!!

Now, I have been a self – confessed Hrithik Roshan fan for about a decade and have found no one from the new batch of actors even remotely close to him in all these years.  But Ranbir Kapoor has changed all that.  When he made his screen debut with Sanjay Lila Bhansali’s dud ‘Saanwariya’, I wasn't mildly interested in him and just considered him another ‘star kid’ reaping in the benefits of his royal acting lineage. I also gave ‘Bachna Ae Haseeno’ a miss, though I heard mild reports of the ‘arrival of a star’, but chose to ignore them.  However, Ranbir caught my attention with his endearing performance as a young and confused guy in the 2009 film ‘Wake up Sid’  trying to sort things out in his life. He played it convincingly and I doubt anyone else could have played it better. With ‘Rocket Singh’ later that year I was certain Ranbir had the makings of a true star. It was a performance worth applauding, as he played the character of a simple Sikh guy who is honest yet determined very effectively and honestly. He followed it up with an outstandingly mature portrayal of a secluded yet silent man in 'Rajneeti' next year.  But with ‘Rockstar’ Ranbir now has taken a giant leap towards that line that makes you a respected and noted actor, in a league of his own and convinced me that here is a star that with time would keep rising and develop into a well-groomed star.

His scintillating performance as the rustic Haryaanvi Janaardhan, trying to make a name for himself as a musician and wooing the exceptionally pretty college hottie is riveting fun, while contrastingly his broken and angst-ridden Rockstar avatar of Jordan is so believable that you actually start caring for him, wanting his bleeding heart to get the healing touch.  The moment the first reels signal his arrival, you get a feeling that something special is about to arrive.. Every act of his;  be it the way he struts onto the stage to deliver his performance, or the way he holds his guitar, the way he lets out his frustration of the pain he feels in love into his songs or the way he gets irritated frequently with the media and the police is simply superb.  Infact, for the first time I felt that a Rahman song was made famous simply because of the way the actor performed in it. True Rockstar stuff..!! How I wish, the director had given better thought to his disjointed script , which leaves you confused, irritated and frustrated by the time the end reels roll in. It’s a shame for Ranbir, as a better script would have helped his character evolve even better, but here it mostly leaves you confused of his behaviour.  It is mainly courtesy Ranbir’s award- worthy performance that the film leaves a mark in your mind; else it’s a disappointing fare of what could have been brilliant cinema.

However, after this I am sure all claims of Ranbir’s star quality would be put to rest. He is undoubtedly, here to stay for a long time. I haven’t found anyone after Hrithik showing such versatility in his film’s selection, emoting so confidently and having a star presence that he certainly does have. There have been many after Hrithik, who were briefly claimed to be the ‘next big thing’. Vivek Oberoi is a prime example, and so is Shahid Kapoor (although he is a very good actor but I don’t see him being a huge crowd –puller in the coming days, a trait that Ranbir exudes), they have had their brief periods of fame, but haven’t managed to sustain it.  Imran Khan, was briefly considered as Ranbir’s competitor (frankly, I don’t see him lasting for long as he has his limitations in acting but then that is completely my  personal opinion) , but RK has now surged ahead.

Ranbir, I feel would not make that mistake, as he looks to have a matured head on his shoulders. I never like comparisons between actors of different generations. I would hence not waste time in claiming him to be dethroning some other great actor. I believe that the Indian film industry is large enough to make space for all kinds of ‘stars’ to prevail and maintain their longevity if they have it in them. There is no need to make any unnecessary bad blood between the reigning stars and the upcoming ones. It is time I think to welcome him with open arms and hope that he survives to lift our cinema to giant heights. After all it’s his ‘Haq’ to stay here now.