Film Review: A Doctor's Death

Once I had a time to watch a movie called A Doctor's Death. It is originally a Hindi movie called 'Ek Doctorki Mout', written by Ramapada Chowdhury and directed by a renowned Bengoli director Tapan Sinha.

The movie revolves round the story of a scientist, Dr Deepankar, who has been spending every bit of his moment of his ten years in the research of leprosy. He is adamantly determined to find out the way for eradicating the leprosy from the face of the earth, because it has been thinking that the leprosy is a cursed disease. It is incurable and people hate to go before such lepers. It has become an inerasable stigma since history.

The story starts with the event of experiment led by Dr. Deepankar in his private laboratory in his home. He seems communicating with the brown mice he has kept in his laboratory for his experiment. He injects the vaccine in the body of the brown mice. Then the story keeps on developing with the dispute between the couple with regard to family responsibility against the scientific determination. Seema feels many times that she must abandon her husband because he has turned to be a self-imposed, irresponsible, senseless man because he is so indulged in his research. He has become so rude to her, showing no love and conjugal affection toward her. His academic research has been everything to him.

One day, Seema writes a goodbye letter in order to ditch Deepankar for good. But, no sooner she completes the letter than she remembers the moment Deepankar was so happy as a result of the solution on toxicity, which was so disturbing for him. And he had given all the credit to Seema, because she was the one who had afforded all the scientific appliances needed for Deepankar's experiment. She, too, was happy receiving the acknowledgement from her husband. She stops writing and cherishes the hope of getting compassion from her husband but of no avail. She concedes the fact that it's her weakness and naive not to forsake him despite of her arid life. The feud grows in the issue of cultural compulsory.

Far removed from the daily concern, Dr Deepankar is engrossed with his experiment of developing new hormone with the blood of horse. The hormone doesn't respond much to the body of Rhesus Monkey. The ideal animal for this experiment is Armadillo, but it is only found in America, which a far cry from his reaches. Pangolin is another option for him but he cannot afford this either. Therefore, he has started his experiment with brown mice.

Seema's duty has been to keep her eyes on the brown mice in the home made laboratory, as though they were her children by her husband. She has to look after the equipments and utensils of the laboratory, as though they were the ornaments bestowed upon her. When a single thing gets removed from the usual place in an attempt to clean room by Seema, Deepanker burns up with his anger. He never thinks that she is taking care of him rather it's a great disturbance against his valuable task of his research. Both of them think that each doesn't understand the other's feeling.

‘A most interesting result! … A most interesting result! ’ Cleaving his eye to the microscope, he ignores everything said by Seema to him.

‘Don't you have any bit of a concern towards other person than yourself in this home? ’

‘I have not done any injustice to you, I'm sure!’

No entreaty moves the mountain of his determination. He yawns at his work at midnight. Gets up and stretches his body back and forth for exercise. Hums in tune and goes to shower. Comes again to resume his work.

‘What time might it have been now, can you guess? ’ Seema frowns her brows.

‘10 or 11 pm by now ’ without moving his eyes from his work, he says.

‘It's 2 am now!’ Seema controls herself from being violent toward him.

‘Ok, that's fine. You better sleep’ He goes on indulging his work. What Seema intends by her words never gets communicated.

Deepankar, as chemical, attracts and repels many characters in the movie.

Dr. Kundu is very interested in his dedication to his research. He studies his notes and affirms his originality in the process of his findings. But the conclusion is yet to be made as validity. So, he asks Deepakar about his plan to derive his conclusion. Deepankar tells him that he is just experimenting on brown mice at this juncture and dreaming to experiment in human body finally. This problem is really hunting him. on another day, when they are in tea-talk, Dr Kundu proposes that he likes to offer his body for the sake of Deepankar's experiment. Deepankar hesitates to accept his remarks because it may be dangerous to his life. Also, it needs permission for such work. It's life and death issue. but Dr. Kundu convinces him that he is becoming older and older. The body decays one day as the person dies. So, why would he not use his body for the sake of human welfare? He has an individual freedom to use his body. So, he opines that doesn't need any permission to use his body to the scientific experiment. He has his own choice. He also brings history of sacrifice in the scientific research. Professor J.B.S. Haldane volunteered his body for the sake of the experiment on cancer run by Dr. Sanyal in Kolcatta.

Deepankar feels great awe towards Dr. Kundu's will to the knowledge for the welfare of humanity. He thinks that if his body is used for the experiment it would be great thing for him.

Amulya is another character who likes to help Deepankar with all his possible ways. He was a good student of astrophysics but now has become a journalist. Deepakanr is not happy with his change in the career. He has his own reason for doing that, because he thinks science is beyond the capacity of his mind. He says that his journalism can do many things that the science cannot do. He says that he can provide a wide range of publicity of Deepankar's research work. At this, Deepankar expresses his contempt on publicity. Amulya insists on its significance. Finally, he publishes the article on the research without the consent of Deepankar. Soon it gains a wide currency all over the intellectual circle. The more of his popularity the more the rivals he gets. The plot reaches to the crux with the publicity of Deepankar's work. He not only receives complements but also a threat from those who are envious of his success. Dr. Arjit, a physician and a friend of him since his school days, is also disturbed in his tranquility. The Department of Health calls Deepankar to explain certain matters. Deepankar is mad with his anger on such reaction to his genuine endeavor. Many things are inquired of his work. Which laboratory? Whose permission? Legal process? And,what not. Deepankar, who used to be fire on his wife, has now an ample grounds for being fire on many rivals. Meanwhile, the BBC spreads the news of his research and John Anderson Foundation sends an invitation letter to Deepankar in order to explain his research process on how the leprosy vaccine will work in human body. But the invitation letter is kept hidden by the Health Department under Dr. Khastagir, the director of the department. Deepankar is asked to submit his report to the health department, then only the decision will be made whether or not he will be allowed to send to John Anderson Foundation. Another option is that he has to resign his current job and can go. He cannot leave his job as he is already in debt for establishing his private laboratory in his home, in which Seema had many unforgettable sacrifices, like selling out her personal ornaments.

Some days later, Deepankar gets a letter from the health department. He is transferred to remote hospital in the village. He has to make his paper ready for the health department. He is now away from his home, his laboratory, his references for the note. Most importantly, away from his wife, Seema. Both Seema and Deepankar realize how important they are to each other now. Seema pays a weekly visit to Deepankar in the village.

‘Please ,stay some more days with me here, Seema !’

‘ Then, who will look after your children, the brown mice in your laboratory back at home?’

In the long run, Deepankar is unable to produce his paper before the health department. By then, the rumors spread like a wild fire that Deepankar's investigation is fake. The board of the government doctors form an inquiry committee. Deepankar is asked to explain his research before the inquiry committee. Deepankar, fully conceited, charges them that they don't know anything about leprosy. They are not aware that what they have been using as medicine against leprosy is of 19 century's medicine. They are denuded and proved hollow in the argument by Deepankar. Debunked and defeated before the fierce conceit, they feel insulted, for they were luminaries in field of leprosy. The inquiry board consists of Dr. Arjit, a renowned physician, who later disjoins the committee. Dr. Ramanand Chatterji, the chairman of the board, who is a renowned gynecologist. Uma Shankar Upadhyay, who runs a leprosy home of 556 lepers. Dr. Kedarnath Das, who runs a leprosy clinic. The inquiry committee demands the paper for explanation of the research. Deepankar demands their specialties:

‘Who among you are micro cellular biologist? Tell me. Who is molecular biologist here in the committee?’

Fully knowing the fact that they are creating hurdles against his intellectual effort, he gives in finally,

‘I surrender myself now, because all of you are running after me to bring my intellectual effort into naught.’

After facing the impudent remarks from the science students during his lecture, which is called by them just to ridicule him before the mass of the student, he becomes sick. Later on, at his home,  Amulya brings a news paper and reads out loud that someone else has been attributed for the invention of the leprosy vaccine. Deepankar's original work is abused. His intellectual effort is ruined by the power structure.

In the end, Deepankar kills all of his brown mice and other animals of his laboratory. Seema weeps bitterly. A brilliant athlete in the field of knowledge looses his scientific game before his rivals.

The film closes with Dr. Kundu's reading a letter from John Anderson's Foundation, inviting Deepankar again for the explanation of the experimentation of the vaccine in the human body.

The film seems to convey some important message to its viewers. It harks back to the history of leprosy and the social stigma attached with it. The Bible also records its historicity. In the book of Leviticus, it says that They were outcasts of society. The leper was to cry “Unclean! Unclean!” wherever he went: he was to dwell alone; in a habitation outside the camp” (Leviticus 13:45, 46).  They had to carry a bell everywhere they went and if anyone should come within 50 yards of them they had to ring a warning to them. Leprosy was a contagious disease.

Tuberculosis once had been considered as Raj Rog in India.The patients were shunned and despised. But, now a days, with the invention of the ATT medical system the stigma attached to TB is erasing. Dr Deepankar firmly believes that a curse has its remedy too. He tantalizes the remedy of such stigma. But human society lives with paradoxes. Deepankar is beset with an uphill climb to his intellectual journey. He struggles in the welter of the bureaucratic power structure.

Knowledge is power, they say; but sometimes it is ignorance that operates as power to control humanity for long. There are some, for example Max Weber, who prefers to deal power as separate entity that encroaches in human affairs. Women, who are generally considered to be a weak vessel, have pierced the mountain-like chest of the velour; for example, the goddess Durga stabbed the giant Mahishasur to his death with her trident. Mahakali had trampled down the chest of Mahadeva. Some years ago, one of the ladies member of the Constituent  Assembly slapped a male district officer in the Tarai region. So, power operates differently in different situation.

Power also controls the knowledge. Sometimes, even research programs fall prey to the power pattern. Thomas Kuhn has carefully studied about the revolutions that have imparted knowledge rather than adherences to the popular paradigm. The inquiry committee in the film represents the paradigm. I would like to borrow some ideas from Charles Vandoren ,who writes :

In 1611 Galieo went to Rome to describe what he had seen to the pontifical court. He took his telescope with him. Many were impressed by his findings, the meaning of which they did not at first comprehend. But he demanded that they open their eyes to those consequences. Among other things, he said he could prove mathematically that the earth went around the sun and not the sun around the earth, that Ptolemy was wrong and Copernicus right. And, he insisted, his telescopic observations proved that the heavens were not basically different from the sublunary world. There was no such things as the quintessence. All matter, everywhere, must be the same, or at least very similar.

                  You can prove no such things with your mathematics, said cardinal Robert Bellarmine (1542-1621), chief theologian of the roman church. He reminded Galileo of the time-honored belief that mathematical hypotheses had nothing to do with physical reality. (It was this belief, held by the church for centuries, that had protected Copernicus's work from oblivion.) Physical reality, the cardinal said, is explained not by mathematics but by the scripture and church father.

              Look through my telescope and see for yourself, said Galileo. Bellarmine looked, but he did not see.

         Why were cardinal Bellarmine  and the Dominican preachers whose aid he enlisted in a campaign against  Galileo unable to see what Galileo saw, and what we would see if we looked through that telescope? Their eyes were physically the same as ours, but they did not see as ours would.

                  (A History of Knowledge. pp 201-2)

Nietzsche calls it as cultural hypocrisy. He was the one who felt averse to human choice of obstinate resistance to the correction of self-deception. People not only possess self-deception but also preserve it in many forms.

Another important aspect for the scholarly viewers of the film is that, research is a systematic investigation of knowledge. Dr. Kundu says, ‘ being born in the family of the king does not make a person prince!’ Validity and reliability generates each other.validity corresponds between the concept and empirical indicators. Reliability is a matter of consistency in the measurement. A reliable but invalid measurement is worthless. Dr. Deepankar hums to himself as he works in his laboratory,‘ Kitni Jane Baten Anjaan Rahjaaten hai’, meaning that so many known things, yet they are unknown to many.

A family support for the scholar is another issue that the film portrays to the viewers. Seema has become an ideal woman in her support to her husband. Support and sacrifice makes her ideal rather than her role as wife to Deepankar. Once she was about to leave her husband but soon she controls herself and realizes how important she is to him, however, Deepankar seems to sense this truth only when he is transferred to remote village. The moment is so touching when Deepankar drops tears from his eyes as he begins to talk with Seema in the remote village. Man is a social animal, however, he is the paragon of other animals.

Cast:

Dr. Deepankar (Pankaj Kapoor)

Seema ( Deepankar's wife, Shabana Ajmi)

Dr. Kundu (Anil Chatterji)

Amulya, a journalist. He was a good student of astrophysics. (Irrfan Khan)

Dr. Ramanand Chattarjee, a gynecologist.

Dr. Prashant Mullick ( not seen in the scene)

Dr. Arjit, a physician. (Vijayendra Ghatge)

Paramita ( Arjit' wife, Deepa Sahi)

Anjana ( Arjit's daughter)

Dr. Khastagir, the director of the health department.

Dr. Emile Barnard, a representative of John Anderson Foundation, London.