Tag Archives: pandemic

2021: A year of Love, Labour and Loss

December 3, 2021PeopleCOVID19, Dr Amit Gupta, Dr Srishti Mittal, ECMO support, grief, Indian Medical Association, love, lung transplant, Narela, organ donation, pandemic, Satyawadi Raja Harish Chandra HospitalShillpi A Singh

Love is a mystery. Love is unitive. Love is how we connect as human beings with one another and with the whole universe together. Love is how we learn, how we become better, and make the world a better place to live, for us and others. Love needs freedom to breathe, equality to thrive, and openness to flow and grow. Love is personal, political, sexual, philosophical, social, historical, metaphysical, transcendental, et al. Sadly, we have only one word to describe an emotion so complex. The ancient Greeks had six different words, but even that’s not enough. 2021 taught me new ways to describe the complexity of love and its various hues. Love lost on many counts, but like a phoenix, it miraculously sprang on a few occasions. My vocabulary of LOVE was defined and redefined by people who touched my life one way or another this year.
shillpi a singh

LOVE IS GRIEF: Dr Amit Gupta

“Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.”
Lao Tzu

While graduating from a medical school, like others of his ilk, Dr Amit Gupta, 39, must have also taken the Hippocratic oath to consecrate his life to the service of humanity and make the health of his patient his first consideration. Little did he know that years later, the oath would be put to test by COVID-19. Dr Gupta is one among those 1,492 doctors, who lived every word of this pledge while being on duty during the first and second waves in India and sadly succumbed to coronavirus infection, according to data released by the Indian Medical Association earlier this year. They are our frontline health workers, our real-life heroes who bravely served their patients without caring for their lives and eventually lost the battle for breath.

It was on April 18, 2021, senior resident Dr Gupta of Satyawadi Raja Harishchandra Hospital (SRCH) in Narela, New Delhi, returned home after being on duty for 80 hours at a stretch. He was doing his job with utmost sincerity. The second wave of COVID-19 was at its peak. Clad in a PPE suit in that sweltering heat, he was there in the hospital, round the clock, and contracted COVID-19 while serving other patients. In spite of his busy schedule, he never forgot to check on others in his family and friend circle who were COVID infected, sending them medical advice and medications as well. The hospitals across the country were fast running out of beds, and oxygen cylinders were scarce, but the doctors were still keeping their chin up and busy fighting the war against the deadly virus, clinging on to hope to save as many lives as possible.
Dr Gupta was initially hospitalised at SRCH for a few days, and then at a private hospital in his neighbourhood, and from there moved to Medanta Gurgaon. The virus had severely damaged his lungs by then. The doctors suggested that he required extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support. His family decided to take him to a hospital in Secunderabad early in May.
Meanwhile, on May 18, 2021, Delhi government health minister Satyendar Jain announced that “the state government would bear the entire cost of treatment because Corona warriors are our strength.”

अपनी ड्यूटी के दौरान कोरोना पॉजिटिव हुए सत्यवादी राजा हरिश्चंद्र अस्पताल के डॉक्टर श्री अमित गुप्ता जी के परिवार से बात की। उनके इलाज का पूरा खर्च दिल्ली सरकार उठाएगी।

हमारे कोरोना वॉरियस हमारी ताकत है और इस मुश्किल घड़ी में दिल्ली सरकार उनके साथ खड़ी है। pic.twitter.com/zRHvPND77J
— Satyendar Jain (@SatyendarJain) May 18, 2021

The Hon’ble minister’s promise gave Dr Gupta’s family immense support, but the official procedures were tardy, and the clearance of bills took longer than usual. The family was back to square one. They were still running helter and skelter, borrowing money from friends, relatives to meet this unforeseen medical emergency. “We spent our entire savings, took huge loans to cater to the medical expenses. Desperate for financial assistance, we even started a fundraising campaign, till the state government cleared a part of the promised amount, and that too after National Human Rights Commission’s intervention,” says his wife, Dr Srishti Mittal.

**LOVE IS GRIEF: Dr Srishti Mittal and Dr Amit Gupta**

Dr Gupta’s deteriorating condition and the mounting expenses were a cause of concern for the family, but they hoped for the better. “That may be the treatment would work, and he would be fit as a fiddle, if not today, maybe tomorrow for sure. We took loans from all possible quarters hoping to return when the Government would clear our bills because they had promised to do so,” adds Mittal.

The treating doctors in Secunderabad advised lung transplant, and the family left no stone unturned to arrange the organ. The transplant was successful, but the post-operation complications bothered the recovery of Dr Gupta. After a courageous four-month-long battle, he gave up and left for his heavenly abode on August 14, 2021. He is survived by his wife, son, and elderly parents.

**DR AMIT GUPTA** **WHILE HE WAS HOSPITALISED.**

Dr Mittal has resumed duty at SRCH, serving patients just like before, deeply engrossed in work, working in shifts, and living up to the Hippocratic oath. It is the same place where she once worked with her life partner, Dr Gupta. Her co-traveller abandoned the journey mid-way, leaving her all alone to put up a strong fight on all fronts, professional as well as personal, but that hasn’t deterred her. She is fighting to clear the debts amounting to Rs 1 crore 67 lakh by following up with the government officials, and once that is done, she will live on for the couple’s little boy and his elderly parents.

Her decision to return to work at SRCH is perhaps a way to beat the deep grief that is like a river — ebbs and flows. It is the last act of love that we give to our loved ones. It is never one thing. It deposits the memory of the past as sediments one day; it eats it away as a shark the next. But it is never one thing. Grief is but non-linear, spread over as carpet of our desire kept under the circumstances: grief ebbs and flows.

Grief is like love. It is a burden and a privilege as well. It is the ache of longing for all that is lost but seeing through the darkness of death, Dr Srishti Mittal is living with gratitude for the gift of time and love she shared with Dr Amit Gupta, and that alone gives her the courage to live on.

2021: A year of Love, Labour and Loss

December 1, 2021PeopleCOVID19, Dr Nirav Patel, Narela, pandemic, SRCH, Suman Rajat, yearenderShillpi A Singh

Love is a mystery. Love is unitive. Love is how we connect as human beings with one another and with the whole universe together. Love is how we learn, how we become better, and make the world a better place to live, for us and others. Love needs freedom to breathe, equality to thrive, and openness to flow and grow. Love is personal, political, sexual, philosophical, social, historical, metaphysical, transcendental, et al. Sadly, we have only one word to describe an emotion so complex. The ancient Greeks had six different words, but even that’s not enough. 2021 taught me new ways to describe the complexity of love and its various hues. Love lost on many counts, but like a phoenix, it miraculously sprang on a few occasions. My vocabulary of LOVE was defined and redefined by people who touched my life one way or another this year.
Shillpi a singh

LOVE IS HOPE: Suman Rajat

“Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.”
Desmond tutu

Do you know what did the COVID-19 virus tell Delhi-based Suman Rajat? “I came, I saw, but I couldn’t conquer you.” Suman fought tooth and nail for two and a half months in the hospital and still suffers from symptoms of long COVID, but she’s one of the lucky few who managed to walk out of the hospital after a long and arduous fight with the virus.
“It’s been seven months now, but my lungs are still reeling under the impact of the virus. HRCT score is worrisome. The virus has impacted my neurological health as well, the doctors say. But then the worst is behind me is what I feel right now as I look back at the life-altering experience of 2021,” says the teacher, who gives a lesson in resilience to one and all with her indomitable spirit.
As an external examiner for the board exams, she was on duty in the government school when the COVID symptoms knocked her down. “It was on April 12, and I suddenly started feeling sick while checking the papers. I got myself tested once. It was negative. Then I went for a repeat test. It was positive, and I couldn’t take any chance. I was wheeled in the hospital after my oxygen saturation started plummeting on April 15. My comorbidities made it imperative to put me under intensive care,” she recounts. The high blood pressure and diabetes added to her COVID woes. While in hospital, on April 26, 2021, her SPO2 sank to as low as 37%, and it got scarier with every passing day. She was administered two units of plasma and six doses of Remdesivir. The para monitor sitting atop the slab next to her bed kept beeping 24×7. After all, it had the onerous responsibility to count her heartbeat and pulse rate. In a way, it gave a real-time account of how the oxygen-supported respiratory mechanism was helping her breathe, and with great difficulty.

“It could have either gotten better or worse from that moment. I was comfortably numb by then. By then, none of the people around me in that intensive care ward had survived the virus, except one. They were falling like flies. To see death all around shattered me to the core, but I knew it was about either fight or fright. I didn’t want to give the option of flight to myself,” she reminisces.
Her husband Manoj, too, had contracted COVID by then. He came to the hospital on the night when her saturation levels and pulse rate were playing truant and stayed back to look after her. He, along with the doctors, nurses, support staff, saw a miracle unfold as she started showing slow signs of improvement, and in May, she was sent away to the general ward. From being on full oxygen support, she came to 4l/minute, and her saturation hovered around 88-92%. She remained on oxygen support until she was discharged from the hospital on June 30, 2021. She survived the deadly attack of the virus by clinging on to hope with all her might and putting up an intense fight.
“ACP of Narela, Dr Nirav Patel ji and Dr Yashpal ji stayed were in constant touch with the attending doctors at the hospital – Satyawadi Raja Harishchandra Hospital – and provided continuous help with the treatment. During this crisis, Balbir Singh, Ranjana ji, Balbir Antil ji and Anita Antil ji gave moral support and motivational guidance, and I thank all of them. Harish and Manjit Bhai helped me with the plasma donation, and that’s what kept me going. My family stood like a rock during this crisis and helped me beat this virus. I will be forever indebted to them,” she says.

LOVE IS HOPE: SUMAN RAJAT

जिसके होने से मैं खुद को मुकम्मल मानती हूं, मैं खुदा से पहले मेरे परिवार को जानती हूँ। जब हमारी जिंदगी में कोई परेशानी आती है, तो उस परेशानी से लड़ने के लिए सबसे पहले जो साथ में खड़े होते हैं वह होते हैं परिवार के लोग और जब हम उस परेशानी से बाहर आते हैं तो हम सबको थैंक्स बोलते हैं, पर उन्हें थैंक्स बोलना भूल जाते हैं जो हमारे दिल के सबसे करीब होते हैं । लेकिन मुझे लगता है कि मेरी लिस्ट लम्बी है ।थैंक्स के पहले हकदार हैं मेरे पति मनोज जिन्होंने अपनी सेहत की चिंता ना करते हुए मेरी दिन रात सेवा की।मेरे माँ-बाप, भाई जिन्होंने मुझे बचाने के लिए रातों की नींद को खो दिया और भरसक प्रयास करते रहे कि मुझे हर सुविधा मिल जाए जिससे मैं अपने घर सही सलामत आ जाऊं।भाभी, जिन्होंने खाने-पीने का इंतज़ाम किया, पसंद के साथ-साथ सेहत का ध्यान रखा, उन्हें प्यार और आभार । मेरी बहनें, जीजा जी, मामा जी, बच्चे, कुल मिलाकर सभी लोग जिन्होंने मुझे इस बीमारी से लड़ने की हिम्मत दी उन सभी को साधुवाद।सबके हाथ प्रार्थना से जुड़े होते थे और वह सब निरंतर इस प्रयास में व्यस्त थे। ईश्वर ने उनकी प्रार्थना सुन ली। बस एक आस जुड़ी थी – वे सब चाहते थे कि एक सकारात्मक परिणाम आ जाए । जानते हैं उनके लिए धन्यवाद क्यों नहीं निकलता? क्योंकि उनके लिए शब्द नहीं मिलते । एक धन्यवाद कहना ही काफी नहीं होता । उनका प्यार अमूल्य है । उनके आगे हर चीज नतमस्तक है। धन्यवाद !
Suman rajat

She’s our fighter.
She’s our winner.
She’s our hope.
She’s one among the countable few happy stories from 2021.

COVID19: DRDO’s 2-Deoxy-D-Glucose drug decoded

May 17, 2021Health Wise2-Deoxy-D-Glucose, Central Drug Standard Control Organisation, Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Coronavirus, COVID19, Dr Reddy’s Laboratories, Drugs Controller of India, Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences, pandemic, second waveShillpi A Singh

Dr Rahul Pandit talks about the drug that was approved for emergency use as an adjunct therapy in moderate to severe COVID19 patients by the Drugs Controller General of India early this month.

Mumbai, May 17, 2021: Adding another ammo to our battle against COVID19, the Government of India has introduced a promising anti-COVID19 drug called 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG). The drug has been developed by the Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS), a lab of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), in collaboration with Dr Reddy’s Laboratories (DRL), Hyderabad. The drug was approved for emergency use as an adjunct therapy in moderate to severe COVID19 patients by the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) early this month.

WHAT IS 2-DEOXY-D-GLUCOSE (2-DG)? 2-Deoxy-D-Glucose drug has historically been extensively tested for treating Cancer but is so far an unapproved drug. However, for COVID19, the drug shows promise. The drug comes in powder form in a sachet, which is taken orally by dissolving it in water. It accumulates in the virus-infected cells and prevents virus growth by stopping viral synthesis and energy production. Its selective accumulation in virally infected cells makes this drug unique. The Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS), a lab of the DRDO, in collaboration with Dr Reddy’s Laboratories (DRL), Hyderabad, has been studying this drug in the context of radiation therapy for cancer.

The primary mechanism of the drug involves inhibiting glycolysis or one of how cells break down glucose for energy. While used to starve and kill cancer cells, this approach could also work in inhibiting virus cells too that were dependent on glycolysis for replication. When the pandemic broke out in India, INMAS, DRDO, and DRL switched their effort to explore the possibilities to use this drug to defeat COVID19. Tests at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, last year indicated that the drug demonstrably killed virus cells after which it progressed to trials in people.

2-DEOXY-D-GLUCOSE DRUG CLINICAL TRIAL: GATHERING CLINICAL EVIDENCE AND EFFICACY. In April 2020, INMAS started experimental examinations in Hyderabad with the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB). After which, the Central Drug Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) and the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) jointly granted permission for Phase-2 trials in May 2020. Between May to October 2020, the institute started initial trials on how COVID19 patients would respond to the drug. The drug worked well with no side effects, and the patients recovered quickly. Further on, the Phase 3 clinical trial was conducted between November 2020-March 2021 in Delhi, UP, Bengal, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka. The results were favourable.

THE EFFICACY FACTOR: Clinical trial results have shown that this molecule helps in faster recovery of hospitalised patients and reduces supplemental oxygen dependence. The drug will be of immense benefit to the people suffering from COVID19. As per clinical data for efffficacy trends, the patients treated with the 2-DG drug showed faster symptomatic cure than Standard of Care (SoC) on various endpoints. A significantly higher proportion of patients improved symptomatically and became free from supplemental oxygen dependence (42% vs 31%) by day-3 compared to SoC, indicating an early relief from Oxygen therapy/dependence.

ACTING WITH RESPONSIBILITY: This drug comes when our nation is grappling to cope with the impact of the devastating second wave of COVID19, which has stressed our infrastructure and resources to its limit. I see a ray of hope, that with the availability of this drug, we may be able to reduce the burden of COVID19 and save as many lives as possible. Having said that, precaution is a must. No COVID19 medication should be taken without a doctor’s prescription. Moreover, hoarding drugs is a crime, and as responsible citizens of the nation, we must ensure that these medicines should be available and accessible to those who need it.

(Dr Rahul Pandit is Director-Critical Care, Fortis Hospitals Mumbai & Member of Maharashtra’s COVID Taskforce)

Dealing with COVID stress is not a child’s play

April 1, 2021The Parentsloguechildren, COVID19, Dr Jesal Seth, lockdown, pandemic, pandemic stressShillpi A Singh

Dr Jesal Sheth tells how parents can chip in and help their children bust it.

New Delhi, April 1, 2021: The COVID19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown generated a lot of fear and stress across all age groups. Children usually thrive under predictable conditions, but the pandemic’s disruption greatly impacted them physically and emotionally. Online schooling, social isolation, lack of interactions with their friends, lack of physical sports and parental angst have aggravated their mental and emotional wellbeing. Children and adolscents have developed fear, anxiety, depression, and boredom. While most parents were involved in dealing with the pandemic’s uncertainty and putting all efforts to keep their family safe and sustainable, the emotional needss and mental health of children were somehow ignored.

THE IMPACT OF THE PANDEMIC ON CHILDREN: The pandemic has changed the way children typically grow, learn, play, behave, interact, and manage emotions. Children have been observed to have conduct problems, peer problems, externalizing problems, and general psychological distress. When compared with children who did not exercise, children with psychical activity had lower hyperactivity-inattention and less prosocial behavior problems.

Moreover, from a more emotional perspective, they have a lot going around in their head, and the biggest worry for them is whether or not they will see their friends in school or get sick. The combined effect between lifestyle changes and psychosocial stress caused by home confinement perhaps aggravates children’s behavioural problems.

In the long run, this can lead to an emotional breakdown among children, and the same may lead to these children resisting to return to school post-lockdown. This can happen primarily because children have lost their pre-lockdown routines and the loss of touch with their peers and mentors. In addition to this, the lockdown-related constraints can have a long-term negative effect on their overall psychological wellbeing.

SO, HOW DO WE TACKLE THIS? Here’s how you can help children cope with COVID-related stress;

Address fears: Anxiety and emotional depression can be tackled by parents to some extent by addressing fears of children, talking about problems and possible solutions from the child’s perspective.
Spend time with grandparents: Children who have grandparents can spend some quality time with them, listen to stories and tell them stories. Talking to them will help.
Follow a routine: Parents can maintain some routines even if confined at home. It is always good if parents and children can plan some activities together. Parents should also plan their children’s tasks one at a time, involve them in various home activities, educate them about following hygiene habits and social distancing.
Play games: Engage in indoor play and creative activities. In addition to these activities, children can be advised to be involved in household chores and understand their social responsibilities.
Organise virtual play dates: To keep them in touch with friends and classmates, plan a virtual party and playdates.
Discuss issues: Parents should pay more attention to the emotional wellbeing of the child. Keep emphasizing COVID19 measures like wearing a mask, social distancing, and frequent hand washing, as the pandemic is not over yet. Also, children should be encouraged to socialize with their friends and classmates through digital forums under the parent’s supervision.

(Dr Jesal Sheth is Senior Consultant-Paediatrician, Fortis Hospital, Mulund; Cover image by Tumisu from Pixabay)

COVID19 vaccination: 20 points to keep in mind

March 13, 2021Health WiseAspirin, chemotherapy, Clopidogrel, comorbidities, Covaxin, COVID19, Covishield, dementia, diabetes, dialysis, heart disease, Hypertension, immunization, pandemic, Parkinson’s, post-angiography, renal failure, stroke, vaccination, WarfarinShillpi A Singh

Go ahead and get the jab for yourself and your loved ones, says Dr Rahul Pandit

New Delhi, March 13, 2021: We have entered the second phase of the world’s largest immunization program. However, several looming questions could hamper the success of this program and weaken the fight against COVID19.

Only people who have an Anaphylaxis (allergic reaction) to any of the vaccine contents, should NOT take the vaccine.

Yes, vaccination is the most effective tool to fight the COVID19 pandemic, and help us succeed in our mission to restore normalcy! Having said that, the COVID19 vaccination drive in India has seen much momentum since day one. With an enthusiastic push from the civic bodies, we are slowly but steadily approaching our target goals. After successful round of vaccination for the healthcare providers and frontline workers, we have now moved to vaccinate and protect seniors above 60 years of age, and those above 45 years with comorbidities.

Here’s a guideline to help proceed with vaccinating yourself and your loved ones:

1. All adults should take the COVID19 vaccine and encourage others to take it as well.

2. You should have had your meals, and be well hydrated for your vaccination.

3. Only people who have an Anaphylaxis (allergic reaction) to any of the vaccine contents, should NOT take the vaccine.

4. All approved vaccines including Covishield and Covaxin have:

100% efficacy in preventing death due to COVID19
Very high efficacy against severe COVID19
High to moderate efficacy (60%-95%) against symptomatic COVID19
Poor efficacy only against asymptomatic COVID19

5. Vaccinating the high-risk vulnerable population – above 60 yrs and above 45 yrs with co-morbidities will bring down the mortality rate to ‘very low’, as currently, this group forms almost 90% of patients who succumb to the disease. Therefore, we must encourage people in these age groups to be vaccinated.

6. People with previous COVID19 infection should take the vaccine only after 8-12 weeks of recovery from COVID 19.

7. A person who has received Plasma Therapy to treat a previous COVID19 infection should wait for 8-12 weeks before taking the vaccine.

8. Vaccine is safe in patients with hypertension, diabetes, renal failure, and heart disease, amongst those who have undergone bypass, post-angiography, and those on dialysis.

9. In pregnant women, if the benefit outweighs the risks of the vaccine, then you may take the vaccine. For example, a frontline pregnant worker should take the vaccine.

10. There is no data on how long pregnancy should be avoided post-vaccination. However, as it is an inactivated or dead virus it should be safe after 6-8 weeks of vaccination to conceive.

People on anti-platelet agents like Aspirin and Clopidogrel
should take the vaccine without stopping their medication.

11. Vaccine is safe amongst those with a food allergy, drug allergy (other than the vaccine components) and common allergic conditions such as asthma, allergic rhinitis and allergic dermatitis. But consult your doctor before enrolling yourself.

12. People on anti-platelet agents like Aspirin and Clopidogrel should take the COVID19 vaccine without stopping their medication.

13. Patients on blood thinners like Warfarin or newer anticoagulation agents have a small risk of injection site swelling. Patients who are on these newer agents can skip their morning dose, take the vaccine and continue the next regular dose.

14. Patients with neurological complications like stroke, Parkinson’s, dementia should take the vaccine as it is safe for them.

15. Patients on immunosuppressant’s (i.e. patients who’ve undergone organ transplants) of any type can safely take the vaccine. However, immune response may not be complete. Check with your doctor before enrolling.

A simple Paracetamol can be taken post-vaccination if required, and most symptoms would be well controlled.

16. It is false that alcohol is not allowed post-vaccine or that vaccine causes impotency or that vaccine will change the DNA of a person.

17. There are currently no trials available on children, hence vaccination for those below 18 years can be delayed for now.

18. Patients with cancer and those undergoing Chemotherapy should consult their doctor and seek an appropriate window for vaccination between the Chemotherapy cycles. Ideally, the patient should wait for at least four weeks post-chemotherapy to take their vaccine.

19. Fever, body ache, dizziness, headaches are common symptoms post-vaccination.

20. A simple Paracetamol can be taken post-vaccination if required, and most symptoms would be well controlled.

Do not believe in rumours, the best way to get the right information is to speak to doctors at medical centres who are offering the COVID19 vaccination. Remember, vaccine-induced immunity is as important as herd immunity. It is the current and the only way to tackle the growing menace of the virus. Let’s all come together to fight back and end the pandemic once and for all.

(The article has been authored by Dr Rahul Pandit, Director-Critical Care, Fortis Hospitals Mumbai & Member-Maharashtra’s COVID Taskforce)

(Images from Pixabay by Wilfried Pohnke; Gerd Altmann; Alexandra_Koch; fernando zhiminaicela)

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चल रे बटोही सिर्फ एक गाना नहीं बल्कि प्रवासियों के अपने घर वापसी की कहानी है: अमरेंद्र शर्मा

February 23, 2021Crooning Star1971, Amrendra Sharma, Arvind Gaur, Avinash Das, Batla House, Bettiah, Bhojpuri, Bhor, COVID19, International Mother Language Day, lockdown, Manoj Bajpayee, migrant crises, music videos, National School of Drama, pandemic, Pankaj TripathiShillpi A Singh

By Shillpi A Singh

आज की ख़ास बातचीत अमरेंद्र शर्मा से जिन्हें आपने फिल्मों और टेलीविज़न में अभिनेता के रूप में देखा होगा पर क्या आप जानते हैं इन्होंने पिछले साल भोजपुरी गाने – चल रे बटोही – के गायक और निर्माता के रूप में एक नयी पहचान बना कर सब को चौंका दिया था। चलिए एक बटोही के साथ उसके सफर पर और जानिये इस अभिनेता, गायक और निर्माता के पीछे छुपे एक प्रवासी के दर्द को।

आप को हमनें फिल्मों और टेलीविज़न पर अभिनेता के रूप में देखा है। पिछले साल आपने दो म्यूजिक वीडियो में बतौर गायक और निर्माता के रूप में हम सब के सामने आये। इस सफर की शुरुआत कहाँ से और कैसे हुई ?

मैं बिहार के बेतिया जिले के शिकारपुर गाँव से मैट्रिक करने के बाद 1998 में पटना थिएटर करने आ गया। बिहार आर्ट थिएटर से एक्टिंग में दो साल का डिप्लोमा किया और उसी समय पंकज त्रिपाठी भईया से मिलना हुआ और उन्होंने मुझे नेशनल स्कूल ऑफ़ ड्रामा (एनएसडी) के विजय कुमार जी के मंच आर्ट ग्रुप से जोड़ लिया। फिर हमलोग कई सालों तक पूरे देश मे घूम घूम के बहुत सारे नाटक किया जिसमे फणीश्वरनाथ रेणु जी की कहानियां (पंच लाइट, रसप्रिया), हरीशंकर परसाई जी की कहानियां (ना जाने केंहि भेष में, हम बिहार में चुनाव लड़ रहे हैं) का कोलाज़ बना के, फिर रागदरबारी, जात ना पूछो साधु के, ऑफ माइस एंड मैन, बहुत सारे शोज़ किये। फिर कोलकाता में उषा गांगुली जी के रंगकर्मी रेपेट्री से जुड़ गया। वहाँ पर कोर्टमार्शल, शोभायात्रा, काशी के असी, मुक्ति, मातादीन चाँद पे, बहुत सारे शोज़ किये। उसके बाद दिल्ली साहित्य कला परिषद रेपेट्री से जुड़ गया। वँहा पर सतीश आनंद सर के साथ अन्वेषक, महानिर्वाण, चित्तरंजन त्रिपाठी जी के साथ लड़ी नज़रिया, दस दिन का अनसन (हरिशंकर परसाई जी की) सुमन कुमार जी के साथ कहानियों का मंचन किया।
दिल्ली में नाटक करते हुए मनोज बाजपेयी सर की फ़िल्म 1971 में काम करने का मौक़ा मिला, जिसमे मैं पाकिस्तानी सोल्जर की भूमिका में था। काम कुछ ख़ास नहीं था, पर मुझे मनोज जी को क़रीब से अभिनय करते देखना था, मैं उनको स्वाभिमान, दौड़, तमन्ना के समय से फॉलो करता था, जब सत्या आई तो मैं बिल्कुल बेचैन हो गया कि मुझे कैसे भी कर के एक्टर बनना है। मैंने उनकी सत्या देखी थी और शायद तभी से मुझे अभिनेता बनने की इच्छा जागी थी। स्कूल टाइम में अजय देवगन साहब का जबरदस्त फैन रहा हूँ। एक भी फ़िल्म नहीं छोड़ता था। फिर 2008 में मुम्बई आ गया। दूसरे मेरे पसन्दीदा एक्टर इरफान खान सर के साथ अपना आसमान किया। मणिरत्नम सर के साथ रावण किया। फिर मैंने फिल्मों से थोड़ी दूरी बना लिया, अच्छे काम नहीं मिल रहे थे सो मैंने टेलीविजन के तरफ़ रुख़ किया। क्राइम शोज़ में लीड रोल किये। कुछ विज्ञापनों में भी काम किया। 2018 में मुझे भोर फ़िल्म मिली, फिर 2019 में बाटला हाउस मिली। 2020 में मैंने बटोही म्यूजिक वीडियो बनाया। बटोही के बाद, छठ का गीत बनाया, उसे भी लोगों ने पसंद किया।

आप खुद को प्रवासी रचनात्मक मजदूर क्यों कहते हैं ? बटोही म्यूजिक वीडियो के पीछे क्या कहानी छुपी हुई है ?

सन 2000 में मैं पहली बार बिहार से बाहर, दिल्ली नाटक करने, अपने गाँव के कुछ लोगों के साथ पहुंचा था । वो लोग कापसहेड़ा में फैक्ट्री में काम करते थे और एक छोटे से कमरे में 7 से 8 लोग रहते थे। मैं भी उनलोगों के साथ रहने लगा, उन लोगों की स्थिति देख के मुझे बहुत बुरा लगा। मुझे बाहर इतनी बुरी स्थिति में रहना पड़ेगा, मैं कभी सपने में भी नही सोचा था, पर धीरे धीरे मैं भी उनमें ढल गया। कुछ समय बाद मैं वंहा से मंडी हाउस चला आया और अपने नाटक में मस्त हो गया। उसी समय NDTV पर रविश कुमार जी की रिपोर्ट देखी, जिसमे रविश जी मेरे ही ज़िले के प्रवासी मज़दूरों के साथ खाना खाते हुए रिपोर्टिंग कर रहे थे। उस दृश्य ने मुझे अंदर से झंझोर दिया। ख़ुद को पराजित महसूस करने लगा। पहली बार प्रवासी शब्द का अर्थ समझा, पहली बार अहसास हुआ कि मैं भी प्रवासी मज़दूर हूँ। मैं भी अपना परिवार, गाँव, समाज और जगह छोड़ कर मज़दूरी करने आया हूँ। उसके बाद मैं कलकत्ता गया, फिर मुम्बई आ गया, हर जगह उस दर्द को महसूस करता रहा।

चल रे बटोही अपन गाँव

चल रे बटोही अपन गाँव म्यूजिक वीडियो बनाने में कितना समय लगा ?

मुम्बई में संघर्ष करते वक़्त महसूस हुआ कि भोजपुरी में बहुत बुरा काम हो रहा है। भोजपुरी अश्लीलता का पर्याय बन चुका है। दूसरे राज्य के दोस्तों के बीच भोजपुरी मज़ाक की भाषा थी। बहुत बुरा लगता था। भोजपुरी में कुछ करना चाहता था पर कर नहीं पा रहा था, जिस तरह की भोजपुरी फ़िल्म बन रहीं थी कभी मन नही हुआ करने का। मैं गायक नही हूँ, पर नाटक में हमेशा गाता रहा हूँ, सो मेरा मन किया कि क्यूं न भोजपुरी में कुछ गाया जाय। प्रवासी होने का दर्द मैं मुम्बई में भी महसूस कर रहा था सो पलायन पर कुछ गाने का मन बनाया। सन 2018 की बात है, मैंने गीत लिखना शुरू किया पर पेपर पर उसको उतार नहीं पाया। फिर अपने गाँव के अभिजीत मिश्र को समझाया और कई महीनों के डिस्कस करने के बाद गीत तैयार हुआ। फिर भी मुझे गीत अधूरा लग रहा था; फिर मैं मुम्बई में राइटर डायरेक्ट आशुतोष तिवारी से मिला और बटोही का दूसरा अंतरा लिखवाया।
फिर दोस्त मनु वर्मा से डेमो म्यूजिक तैयार करवा के, फाइनेंस के लिए लोगों से मिलता रहा, पर कोई तैयार नहीं हुआ। फिर सोचा अब किसी से नही मिलूंगा, ख़ुद ही बनाऊंगा। ऐसे सोचते सोचते दो साल बीत गए। फिर लॉक डाउन में गाँव आ गया। प्रवासी मज़दूरों का संघर्ष देखा तो बहुत दुःख हुआ, ऐसा लगा बटोही इसी दिन के लिए बचा के रखा हूँ। कुछ समझ नही आ रहा था, गाँव में कोई सुविधा नहीं थी। क्या करूँ, सोचा फेसबुक पे लाइव गा देता हूँ, पर मन नहीं माना। फिर बेतिया में ही DOP चंदन से बात किया और वहीं पर लॉक डाउन में रेकॉर्डिंग कर के वीडियो भी शूट कर लिया। फिर मुम्बई एडिट के लिए फ़ाइल सेंड करने में तीन दिन लग गए, यहां पे इनटरनेट का बहुत प्रॉब्लम था। वीडियो शूट करने में टोटल चार लोग थे। ज़ीरो बज़ट में बटोही बन कर तैयार हुआ।

आपके बटोही गाने की बहुत तारीफ हुई है। क्या आपने ऐसा सोचा था ?

बटोही को जैसा मैंने सोचा था वैसे ही सबके सामने था, सभी का प्यार बहुत मिला।
मनोज बाजपेयी सर ने ट्विटर पे शेयर किया। पंकज त्रिपाठी भईया ने अपने पेज से शेयर किया।
रविश कुमार जी ने NDTV पे प्राइम टाइम में पूरा वीडियो चलाया।
निर्देशक अविनाश दास जी, अरविंद गौर जी … सब ने शेयर किया।
सबसे बड़ी बात मुझे ये लगी की दूसरे राज्य के लोगों ने भी इस भोजपुरी गीत को सराहा और पसंद किया।शायद इसलिए भी क्यूंकि इस देश में अगर बिहार का लड़का अगर महाराष्ट्र में काम करता और रहता है तो वह एक प्रवासी है। और इस तरह हम सभी प्रवासी ही हैं।

आप अभिनय और गायन के क्षेत्र में इस साल और क्या-क्या कर रहे हैं ?

दो फिल्मों – मछली और नरभक्षी – में काम किया है जिसका पोस्ट प्रोडक्शन चल रहा है। एक हॉट स्टार की वेब सीरीज कर रहा हूँ। कुछ भोजपुरी म्यूजिक वीडियो भी प्लान किया है, उसको करना है। अभी मैं किन्नर समुदाय के दुर्दशा और व्यथा पर भोजपुरी में म्यूजिक वीडियो बना रहा हूँ।

LOVE IS GRIEF: Dr Amit Gupta

LOVE IS HOPE: Suman Rajat

She’s our fighter.She’s our winner.She’s our hope.She’s one among the countable few happy stories from 2021.

She’s our fighter.
She’s our winner.
She’s our hope.
She’s one among the countable few happy stories from 2021.