he statistics are staggering. 390 staff physicians, 500 resident doctors. 230 inpatients, 5,800 outpatients and 150 surgeries per day. An average of 1.7 million patients a year. It’s a hospital that was built for 2,000 but now serves 2,00,000, states a doctor in Getting Better , a 2014 documentary about King Edward Memorial Hospital (KEM) made by Gulserene Dastur. Today, on World Health Day, Dastur will screen the documentary for audiences at the Godrej Culture Lab.
Dastur, who debuted as a documentary filmmaker at 64, an age when most folks are thinking of retiring to a more sedentary lifestyle, is amused when asked if she ever experienced any trepidation in embarking on this journey. She laughs in delight, “The thought never occurred to me. It was such an exciting idea.” Dastur’s documentary, which is co-directed and edited by Anupama Chabukswar, is a tribute to the doctors, patients, students and staff at KEM, and its sister institute, GS Medical College.
For Dastur, who now spends her time “much like a demented yo-yo” between Geneva, Mumbai, Pune, and Alibag, this story began in 2008 when her father died post an accident while visiting India. “He had had a bad fall and after spending two months in the ICU, succumbed to injuries.” It was while spending time at Jaslok Hospital that Dastur, who till then was still based in Geneva, observed the need for better public healthcare in Mumbai. “I had seen a lot of people who had sold their land in their search for better medical care.” After her father’s death, a chat with her father’s neurosurgeon, Ranjit Nagpal, led Dastur to KEM. She recounts, “He said the most destitute go to KEM.” So that is where Dastur went too. Initially, the idea was to donate a substantial amount to the hospital. The epiphany to make a documentary struck instead, while making rounds of KEM with Ravi Ramakanthan, head of the radiology department and popular teacher at KEM’s twin institute, the GS Medical College. Dastur says, “I recall thinking that money was not the only thing KEM needed. It was recognition.”
It was her conversations with Ramakanthan and the warmth with which Dastur was received at KEM that propelled her to make the documentary. “Everyone seemed so excited that we had come to see their hospital. I wasn’t a filmmaker looking for a subject. I found a subject that was crying out to me.” Dastur’s new-found enthusiasm was welcomed by KEM but first needed approval from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). Her proposal was cleared swiftly. On being asked about any obstacles in her way, Dastur chortles yet again in delight, “Maybe they didn’t take me seriously, but there were none. We were given complete access to everyone and everywhere except for Aruna’s room.” Dastur is referring to Aruna Shanbaug, the nurse who was looked after by the KEM staff for over 40 years after being in a vegetative state post a heinous sexual assault that took place on the hospital premises.
Permission granted, technical crew appointed, Dastur began the mammoth exercise of documenting stories from KEM and its medical neighbouring college in 2009. The stories abounded. Dastur recalls, “Patients would flock to us, sharing their experiences. We identified the stories and started following people around till they forgot about us. We simply faded into the background.” Over the next four years, till 2013, Dastur and her colleagues shot 230 hours of footage in approximately 100 days. Her budget was Rs 60 lakh and entirely funded by her father’s life insurance policy. “Eventually, we had to stop. We could have gone on and on. But my editor was worried about the quantum of footage.”
When Dastur first showed the documentary, it was warmly received, by its subject(s) and diverse audiences. At 79 minutes, Getting Better is a tale of three people: little Suyash Adhule who needs heart surgery, the aforementioned Ramakanthan whose last year it is at hospital and Sanjay Oak, the former Dean of KEM, whose legendary battles with red tape and bureaucracy are now recorded for posterity. And what will become of the rest of the massive material that Dastur accumulated over the 100 days of shooting? Pat comes the reply, “I’d like to convert the footage into a web series.”
Originally created as a fundraiser for KEM and GS Medical College, Getting Better is a remarkable document to the spirit of the fraternity that runs and supports it. And that also includes a certain filmmaker in her 60s.
Getting Better will be screened at Godrej Culture Lab at 5 pm today. Post the screening, the filmmaker will be in conversation with Dr Sanjay Oak, Vice-Chancellor, DY Patil University and former Dean of KEM
I recall thinking that money was not the only thing KEM needed. It was recognition
Gulserene Dastur
