Actor Mohnish Bahl tells Chahak Mittal that there is another face of doctors which we as patients and humans fail to notice. And their emotional vulnerability is just what Sanjivani reboot aims to highlight
Ask a classful of moony-eyed children about what they want to be when they grow up and “Doctor” is the most likely answer. But while the profession has its exhilarating moments, the every day realities are tedious. Of course, there is the fact that they are often the subject of both admiration and pity. And then there are unspoken but ever-present issues in the life of any doctor which are completely non-medical concerns — ‘Are doctors boring people?’ ‘We never know what they’re even thinking?’ ‘How do they function?’ This has never been addressed, not at the start, middle or even the end of their career because their personal lives are always hidden behind the curtains of OT rooms or emergency centres. A show like Sanjivani parted the curtain, just a bit, in 2002.
Actor Mohnish Bahl, who is set to make his comeback as Dr Shashank Gupta in the reboot of the show, Sanjivani: A Medical Boon, believes just that. He feels that doctors, as humans, feel the most number of emotions in the course of a day. “Hospitals are emotionally-draining places. There’s birth, death and accidents, worried people, several emergencies happening all at the same time— which is a lot for any ordinary person to absorb in one go. A hospital is a nerve centre for all kinds of emotions,” says he and goes on to add that we never know the back story of what the doctor goes through in his life while handling stressful situations.
Indian television history is evidence that shows have never been rebooted like this after more than decade of being aired. And there’s a reason why the team decided to bring Sanjivani back on Indian TV after 15 years. “We saw the potential in a product like this based upon the success of its first part. Second, the concept itself. We, as citizens, interact with doctors at some point in our lives. All of us. And we tend to see doctors not as human beings but as the people who are supposed to put their patients first by all means and at all times,” he says. “When I visit a doctor, even I don’t expect him to care about himself but my problems (laughs). So the show aims to highlight how the humans in white coats with stethoscopes around their collars deal with their insecurities,” he adds.
With the #ThankYouDoctor campaign, he says, “it is not the doctor whom we are thanking through this hashtag, but the individuals that they are who have made this profession the way it is.”
So what made him return to this reboot? He says that the reason remains the same which made him join the show in the first place 15 years ago. “I am very particular about the things that I want to work upon. And Sanjivani was always on my list as something that I would do again if it is ever remade,” says the actor, who reminds me of his numerous roles, be it of a doctor, an obedient son, a loyal husband, or even a deceptive villain in Kaho Na Pyaar Hai and Sandwich.
Talking about the newness in this version, he says that it’s conceptualised in the current context of doctor-patient relationships. “The structure has changed. There’s modernisation in the hospital. We will also see commercialisation taking place in the healthcare industry and how the model code of Sanjivani deals with such commercialisation. Also, I am re-exploring Dr Shashank after 15 years, so a certain maturity and timeline is involved here. There have been failures and successes in his life. And these have honed him as an older man,” explains the actor, who also played a doctor in another show and a film. Hint: Kuch Toh Log Kahenge (2011) and Vivah (2006).
Of course, there have been a lot of changes in a decade, especially with the advent of digital technology and our high dependence on it. Bahl sees getting equal amount of publicity on TV and OTT platforms as an advantage because in the end, the level of popularity depends upon the content. He says, “And as far as the digital platform is concerned, it is an excellent factor. I see it this way. In 2002, when the show first went on air, people had to be present in front of their TVs to watch the show. They had to watch a re-run of the show the next day in case they missed the telecast. In that sense, the advantage of the digital platform and today’s TV systems is that they can record their favourite shows and even catch them later online at their own convenience. If the following of a TV show is 50 per cent (an arbitrary figure), then because of these platforms, you will get much more penetration and it might reach up to 80 per cent.”
At the same time, he also makes us realise the fact that while talking about the popularity, the content and the crew are the first in line of responsibility. “This show would have very high expectations because of its huge following. We have to live up to those expectations as well,” says he.
For the actor, identifying with his characters is very important. He says, “I put myself into other’s shoes and being an actor can itself be emotionally draining. While positive roles are fine, but I have also done many negative characters. How can you put yourself into someone’s shoes whom you don’t only agree with? So, it’s all a part of the human psyche — negative or positive. And hence, I try to make it live inside me or identify with it.”
Mohnish has seen the industry evolve and change having been a part of it through the 80s, 90s, 00s, and then now... He laughs and interrupts me, “Precisely, it’s been 38 years, my friend! It’s been a lifetime of acting.” Well, yes, experience defines the difference. He adds that a lot has changed, both for the good and the bad and explains to me in bullet points. “One. Due to technological advancements, the content is being easily available and has a high reach. Two. Budgets have certainly gone up. During the 80s-90s, a producer could work on three films, but today, three producers are working on one film. It’s because the filmmaking costs have risen with time. Three. People, today, are much more technically prepared. Earlier, the setting-up process would consume a lot of time. However, today the process has speeded up. When you reach the sets, it’s all ready. Four. Youngsters are way more brilliant than us than what we were at their age. They are very smart and quick. Five. Today there’s no scope to make mistakes and finally for attaining success. There are no retakes. It’s tougher for the kids today to make their mark as opportunities are less and there is more competition. It’s certainly not easy for them as compared to us,” he says and laughs at referring to the people from the younger generation as “kids” since he calls himself an older man now.
Well, I disgaree. Not now, not ever. Certainly, he will be a charmer, throughout.
(The show goes on air on August 11 on Star Plus.)
