They are saviours, healers -a desperate family's last hope. But how do the physicians heal themselves?
Among the busiest professionals, with intense daily pressure and the stress to handle patients -several of them critically ill -more and more of them are taking out time from their busy schedules to pursue their passion for mental peace, report Sumati Yengkhom and Debashis Konar
Among the busiest professionals, with intense daily pressure and the stress to handle patients -several of them critically ill -more and more of them are taking out time from their busy schedules to pursue their passion for mental peace, report Sumati Yengkhom and Debashis Konar
A surgeon in white overalls, after a gruelling time in the operating thea tre, changes into a T-shirt and jeans and rushes to a studio for the final take. Or a junior doctor gets over her duty hours to hit the ramp. Some of them are in their 20s, some septuagenarians. What binds them is their pursuit of happiness.Unchained melody
From the OT to a recording studio or a jampacked concert hall, Amitabha Chanda,51, can switch gears as deftly as he runs the surgical knife through the cerebral veins. A neurosurgeon by profession and a singer by passion, Chanda has nurtured his musical skills since childhood. With his family rooted in classical music, love for singing came naturally to Chanda, who got training from his mother Ajanta. His passion for music did not wither during his days in Calcutta Medical College or while pursuing higher studies in the US. Aware about his singing talent, his colleagues started asking him to perform in social gatherings.
An ardent fan of Manna Dey, Chanda would rush to listen to him whenever the legend performed in Kolkata and even managed to meet him during a concert at Mahajati Sadan in the late '80s.
Chanda recently recorded songs of his icon with Manna Dey icon with Manna Dey Sangeet Academy and Saregama.
Oncologist Madhuchanda Kar, 54, too, balances profession and passion with equal ease. She trained in classical music as a child during her Modern High School days.She had a healthy competition with Alka Yagnik, who was a year senior. “Now I perform with the cancer-affected children of my NGO, Manami,“ she says.
Utsab Das, 25, is a known face in the morning TV shows as he performs Tagore songs regularly. Though he has turned to patriotic mu sic, he performs Atulprasad and Rajanikanta songs as well. While doing his MBBS, Das performed at a Kalyan Sen Barat show and is now an All India Radio (AIR) singer. His music lessons started at a very tender age with mother Kakali and later with noted singer Swagatalakshmi Dasgupta.
Apart from being a junior doctor, 24-year-old Pritha Chakraborty from Burdwan is both a model and singer. Taking time out of her Calcutta Medical College duty hours, she sings for AIR and has also won awards for her ramp shows.
Anirban Datta is also a singer, composer and songwriter. His musical life started during his days at the North Bengal Medical College. His first album, `Letters From Siliguri', was launched in 2011. He released a solo album, `Palatak', in 2012. The 30-year-old pathologist relishes the moment when he performed a song composed on Sourav Ganguly in a popular TV show and Dada praised his talent.
Splash of colours
Whenever oncologist Kaushik Ray, 32, gets time, he uses it to sketch or draw cartoons. The drawings often take a dig at his colleagues. But his major interest is in political cartoons. Recently, he made an artwork on the India-Pakistan tension following the Uri attack. “Since my college days, I have been doing cartoons and I enjoy it as a stressbuster,“ he says.
When not busy with the scalpel, 59-year-old paediatric surgeon Parthapratim Gupta loves to splash colours on the canvas. “My love for art began in school under the tutelage of Kamal Kumar Majumdar. No matter what, I manage time to follow my passion,“ he says. A golfer as well, Gupta does not let his creations remain within the doors of his workshop. Love for charity has led to his paintings being exhibited with the proceeds going towards medical help of underprivileged children. His latest exhibition, `Crossroads', was held in January.
Seventy-eight-year-old Debasis Bhattacharya studied psychiatry but excelled as an artist as well. “I had an inclination towards painting from a very young age and by the time I turned a doctor, I was more interested in art. My father and maternal grandfather were eminent doctors. I was greatly influenced by Benode Behari Mukherjee, my mentor. Bhattacharya has been holding his art exhibitions regularly since 1972.“Throughout my life, I have been looking at the interface of the human mind and creativity and visual arts,“ says Bhattacharya, who retired as a psychiatrist after three decades.
Orthopaedic surgeon Bitan Maiti, too, draws energy from painting, as it helps him relax.“Whenever I have time, I experiment with various media. I use charcoal sometimes. Pencil is also a favourite mode. But with paint and brush I feel more comfortable,“ says the 31-year-old.
Rhyme & reason
Plastic surgeon Sauradeep Gupta, 32, is a poet and a fiction writer who regularly contributes to various literary magazines. He runs a quarterly literary magazine -`Saptaparna'.Next on his wishlist is the release of his collection of short stories in the 2017 Kolkata book fair. Pallab Kanti Nath, 31, is a critical care expert who has penned a book of poems, `Lying Half Naked'.
Speed thrills
While most doctors prefer to be driven by chauffeurs to avoid the stress of negotiating the erratic Kolkata traffic, 43-year-old critical care expert Arindam Kar vrooms his way to the hospital in a Harley Davidson 2000CC bike. Some colleagues and friends call him crazy for toying with superbikes, but that is no deterrence for Kar. He has taken part in several Harley Owners Group (HOG) rallies. His penchant for bikes has taken him to rallies across India and neighbouring countries -be it as part of the May 2015 HOG rally in Bhutan or the HOG rally in Goa in February this year.
Tinsel town
For gynaecologist Basudeb Mukherjee, acting is a part of life. It started as a boy, when he would perform every year on the stage at their village Simulia, Murshidabad, during Durga Puja. “I started acting in films in 1972. My maid en appearance was in `Ami Sirajer Begum' and after returning from the UK, I was back on the stage. My next film was `Pratighat' in 1978. I acted in `Royal Bengal Rahasya' by Sandip Ray and played the father of Netaji in Shyam Benegal's `Bose: The Forgotten Hero'. I was quite appreciated for my role in Basu Chatterjee's `Chupi Chupi'.“
Mukherjee, despite being a busy doctor, continues to act in films and mega-serials. “If one wants, one can manage and time is not a factor,“ says the 72-year old, whose last film was `Babar Nam Gandhiji' and will also feature in the next Feluda film.
Orthopaedic surgeon Kaushik Ghosh started acting early in life while he was in Don Bosco and performing on stage turned into a passion.Till now, he has acted in 40-odd feature films.He has played a role in `Sab Charitra Kalpanik' and was close to Rituparno Ghosh. “I treated him when he was ill,“ recalled Ghosh. From Mainak Bhaumik's `Aamra' to Anjan Dutta's `Ranjana Ami Ar Asbo Na', he has been seen in several popular movies. He has also played a meaty role in Dibakar Banerjee's `Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!'.
Lens love
Sixty-two-year-old Debal Sen feels he's a photographer first and cardiologist second. “For over half a century, I've been a photographer.But as it is difficult to sustain myself as a photographer, I need to treat patients,“ he says. He has to his credit four books on photography.
More than half of his life is spent healing patients' hearts and the other half travelling.And make no mistake, his trips do not mean luxury holidays. Images are impacts of our subconscious mind, and heart. Trust a cardiologist to prove this.
From:http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Article.aspx?eid=31812&articlexml=WEEKEND-STORY-Doctors-Do-It-All-15102016008027
From the OT to a recording studio or a jampacked concert hall, Amitabha Chanda,51, can switch gears as deftly as he runs the surgical knife through the cerebral veins. A neurosurgeon by profession and a singer by passion, Chanda has nurtured his musical skills since childhood. With his family rooted in classical music, love for singing came naturally to Chanda, who got training from his mother Ajanta. His passion for music did not wither during his days in Calcutta Medical College or while pursuing higher studies in the US. Aware about his singing talent, his colleagues started asking him to perform in social gatherings.
An ardent fan of Manna Dey, Chanda would rush to listen to him whenever the legend performed in Kolkata and even managed to meet him during a concert at Mahajati Sadan in the late '80s.
Chanda recently recorded songs of his icon with Manna Dey icon with Manna Dey Sangeet Academy and Saregama.
Oncologist Madhuchanda Kar, 54, too, balances profession and passion with equal ease. She trained in classical music as a child during her Modern High School days.She had a healthy competition with Alka Yagnik, who was a year senior. “Now I perform with the cancer-affected children of my NGO, Manami,“ she says.
Utsab Das, 25, is a known face in the morning TV shows as he performs Tagore songs regularly. Though he has turned to patriotic mu sic, he performs Atulprasad and Rajanikanta songs as well. While doing his MBBS, Das performed at a Kalyan Sen Barat show and is now an All India Radio (AIR) singer. His music lessons started at a very tender age with mother Kakali and later with noted singer Swagatalakshmi Dasgupta.
Apart from being a junior doctor, 24-year-old Pritha Chakraborty from Burdwan is both a model and singer. Taking time out of her Calcutta Medical College duty hours, she sings for AIR and has also won awards for her ramp shows.
Anirban Datta is also a singer, composer and songwriter. His musical life started during his days at the North Bengal Medical College. His first album, `Letters From Siliguri', was launched in 2011. He released a solo album, `Palatak', in 2012. The 30-year-old pathologist relishes the moment when he performed a song composed on Sourav Ganguly in a popular TV show and Dada praised his talent.
Splash of colours
Whenever oncologist Kaushik Ray, 32, gets time, he uses it to sketch or draw cartoons. The drawings often take a dig at his colleagues. But his major interest is in political cartoons. Recently, he made an artwork on the India-Pakistan tension following the Uri attack. “Since my college days, I have been doing cartoons and I enjoy it as a stressbuster,“ he says.
When not busy with the scalpel, 59-year-old paediatric surgeon Parthapratim Gupta loves to splash colours on the canvas. “My love for art began in school under the tutelage of Kamal Kumar Majumdar. No matter what, I manage time to follow my passion,“ he says. A golfer as well, Gupta does not let his creations remain within the doors of his workshop. Love for charity has led to his paintings being exhibited with the proceeds going towards medical help of underprivileged children. His latest exhibition, `Crossroads', was held in January.
Seventy-eight-year-old Debasis Bhattacharya studied psychiatry but excelled as an artist as well. “I had an inclination towards painting from a very young age and by the time I turned a doctor, I was more interested in art. My father and maternal grandfather were eminent doctors. I was greatly influenced by Benode Behari Mukherjee, my mentor. Bhattacharya has been holding his art exhibitions regularly since 1972.“Throughout my life, I have been looking at the interface of the human mind and creativity and visual arts,“ says Bhattacharya, who retired as a psychiatrist after three decades.
Orthopaedic surgeon Bitan Maiti, too, draws energy from painting, as it helps him relax.“Whenever I have time, I experiment with various media. I use charcoal sometimes. Pencil is also a favourite mode. But with paint and brush I feel more comfortable,“ says the 31-year-old.
Rhyme & reason
Plastic surgeon Sauradeep Gupta, 32, is a poet and a fiction writer who regularly contributes to various literary magazines. He runs a quarterly literary magazine -`Saptaparna'.Next on his wishlist is the release of his collection of short stories in the 2017 Kolkata book fair. Pallab Kanti Nath, 31, is a critical care expert who has penned a book of poems, `Lying Half Naked'.
Speed thrills
While most doctors prefer to be driven by chauffeurs to avoid the stress of negotiating the erratic Kolkata traffic, 43-year-old critical care expert Arindam Kar vrooms his way to the hospital in a Harley Davidson 2000CC bike. Some colleagues and friends call him crazy for toying with superbikes, but that is no deterrence for Kar. He has taken part in several Harley Owners Group (HOG) rallies. His penchant for bikes has taken him to rallies across India and neighbouring countries -be it as part of the May 2015 HOG rally in Bhutan or the HOG rally in Goa in February this year.
Tinsel town
For gynaecologist Basudeb Mukherjee, acting is a part of life. It started as a boy, when he would perform every year on the stage at their village Simulia, Murshidabad, during Durga Puja. “I started acting in films in 1972. My maid en appearance was in `Ami Sirajer Begum' and after returning from the UK, I was back on the stage. My next film was `Pratighat' in 1978. I acted in `Royal Bengal Rahasya' by Sandip Ray and played the father of Netaji in Shyam Benegal's `Bose: The Forgotten Hero'. I was quite appreciated for my role in Basu Chatterjee's `Chupi Chupi'.“
Mukherjee, despite being a busy doctor, continues to act in films and mega-serials. “If one wants, one can manage and time is not a factor,“ says the 72-year old, whose last film was `Babar Nam Gandhiji' and will also feature in the next Feluda film.
Orthopaedic surgeon Kaushik Ghosh started acting early in life while he was in Don Bosco and performing on stage turned into a passion.Till now, he has acted in 40-odd feature films.He has played a role in `Sab Charitra Kalpanik' and was close to Rituparno Ghosh. “I treated him when he was ill,“ recalled Ghosh. From Mainak Bhaumik's `Aamra' to Anjan Dutta's `Ranjana Ami Ar Asbo Na', he has been seen in several popular movies. He has also played a meaty role in Dibakar Banerjee's `Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!'.
Lens love
Sixty-two-year-old Debal Sen feels he's a photographer first and cardiologist second. “For over half a century, I've been a photographer.But as it is difficult to sustain myself as a photographer, I need to treat patients,“ he says. He has to his credit four books on photography.
More than half of his life is spent healing patients' hearts and the other half travelling.And make no mistake, his trips do not mean luxury holidays. Images are impacts of our subconscious mind, and heart. Trust a cardiologist to prove this.
From:http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Article.aspx?eid=31812&articlexml=WEEKEND-STORY-Doctors-Do-It-All-15102016008027
