NO JOKE, MY DOC'S A JOCK

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

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."