NO JOKE, MY DOC'S A JOCK
THE WEEK India|March 03, 2024
What do a standup comic, a turntablist aka disc jockey, film producer, theatre actor, fashion designer and playback singer have in common? They are all medical practitioners who have turned their passions into an alternative profession
Nirmal Jovial
NO JOKE, MY DOC'S A JOCK

In a world that goes round and is round, we are often boxed in, based on colour, caste, religion, gender, occupation and more.

Appearances, they say, can be deceptive. But that's not the case with Dr Sanjay Meriya. He looks and speaks more like a hip-hop artiste than a doctor. He is both though. There are more like Meriya-an ENT specialist who will check on you even as he cracks a joke during his standup act; a dentist singer who will appreciate your sweet voice but not your sweet tooth; a nuclear medicine specialist who discovers new stories and talent for films as much as he detects diseases; a doctor couple who married medicine with their passion for fashion; and a dermatologist whose acting, be it on stage or screen, is anything but skin-deep.

Meet the doctors who are defying conventions and challenging stereotypes to carve out their unique space and identity.

Laughter is the best medicine

What follows a hilarious standup comedy act? Applause, cheer, flowers, requests for selfies and autographs? Dr Jagadish Chaturvedi, an ENT specialist-cum-standup comic gets all that and more-his fans come bearing medical reports. Curious, Chaturvedi once asked a man why he had showed up at the comedy club, instead of the outpatient department, with his CT scan report. Without batting an eyelid, the man quipped, "At the clinic, it is ₹1,000 for your consultation. Here, it is 250 bucks, plus I get two beers free."

Such unexpected humour is gold for Chaturvedi, 39, from Bengaluru, and he treasures it in his notes. "I refine these thoughts through repetition, starting from one-on-one conversations and progressing to small shows," he says. "I evaluate the audience's reactions, pinpointing moments of laughter and then fine-tune the sentences until they consistently evoke a humorous response."

Esta historia es de la edición March 03, 2024 de THE WEEK India.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

Esta historia es de la edición March 03, 2024 de THE WEEK India.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

MÁS HISTORIAS DE THE WEEK INDIAVer todo
William Dalrymple goes further back
THE WEEK India

William Dalrymple goes further back

Indian readers have long known William Dalrymple as the chronicler nonpareil of India in the early years of the British raj. His latest book, The Golden Road, is a striking departure, since it takes him to a period from about the third century BC to the 12th-13th centuries CE.

time-read
3 minutos  |
November 17, 2024
The bleat from the street
THE WEEK India

The bleat from the street

What with all the apps delivering straight to one’s doorstep, the supermarkets, the food halls and even the occasional (super-expensive) pop-up thela (cart) offering the woke from field-to-fork option, the good old veggie-market/mandi has fallen off my regular beat.

time-read
2 minutos  |
November 17, 2024
Courage and conviction
THE WEEK India

Courage and conviction

Justice A.M. Ahmadi's biography by his granddaughter brings out behind-the-scenes tension in the Supreme Court as it dealt with the Babri Masjid demolition case

time-read
2 minutos  |
November 17, 2024
EPIC ENTERPRISE
THE WEEK India

EPIC ENTERPRISE

Gowri Ramnarayan's translation of Ponniyin Selvan brings a fresh perspective to her grandfather's magnum opus

time-read
4 minutos  |
November 17, 2024
Upgrade your jeans
THE WEEK India

Upgrade your jeans

If you don’t live in the top four-five northern states of India, winter means little else than a pair of jeans. I live in Mumbai, where only mad people wear jeans throughout the year. High temperatures and extreme levels of humidity ensure we go to work in mulmul salwars, cotton pants, or, if you are lucky like me, wear shorts every day.

time-read
2 minutos  |
November 17, 2024
Garden by the sea
THE WEEK India

Garden by the sea

When Kozhikode beach became a fertile ground for ideas with Manorama Hortus

time-read
4 minutos  |
November 17, 2024
RECRUITERS SPEAK
THE WEEK India

RECRUITERS SPEAK

Industry requirements and selection criteria of management graduates

time-read
3 minutos  |
November 17, 2024
MORAL COMPASS
THE WEEK India

MORAL COMPASS

The need to infuse ethics into India's MBA landscape

time-read
5 minutos  |
November 17, 2024
B-SCHOOLS SHOULD UNDERSTAND THAT INDIAN ECONOMY IS GOING TO WITNESS A TREMENDOUS GROWTH
THE WEEK India

B-SCHOOLS SHOULD UNDERSTAND THAT INDIAN ECONOMY IS GOING TO WITNESS A TREMENDOUS GROWTH

INTERVIEW - Prof DEBASHIS CHATTERJEE, director, Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode

time-read
3 minutos  |
November 17, 2024
COURSE CORRECTION
THE WEEK India

COURSE CORRECTION

India's best b-schools are navigating tumultuous times. Hurdles include lower salaries offered to their graduates and students misusing AI

time-read
8 minutos  |
November 17, 2024