Shift in Hindi cinema’s portrayal of doctors reflects society’s evolving perception: Expert

Evolution of doctor portrayal in Hindi cinema over 8 decades, from idealistic saints to complex, flawed individuals.

The portrayal of doctors in Hindi cinema has undergone significant shift over the past eight decades, moving from dedicated, almost saint-like figures in the1930s to more complex, even flawed individuals in recent films, said gastroenterologist S.K. Tyagi here on Saturday (November 9).

Speaking at the IMA TGSCON conference at AIG Hospital in Hyderabad, Dr. Tyagi examined this evolution and its broader implications. The changed perception also shows how the expectations of people have changed over the years.

“In the 1930s and 40s, films like Dushman and Dr. Kotnis ki Amar Kahani depicted doctors as entirely devoted to their profession, committed to saving lives,” Dr. Tyagi observed. “This image evolved in the 1960s with films like Anuradha, where doctors were shown as idealistic but neglectful of their own families in their dedication to patients.” That decade also saw complex portrayals emerge, such as in Dil Apna Aur Preet Parai (1960), where a doctor begins an affair with a nurse, and Aarti (1962), where a doctor proposes marriage as payment for a life-saving surgery on his girlfriend’s husband.

The 1967 film Upkar was the first to show a female doctor, played by Asha Parekh, reflecting the slowly changing gender dynamics within the profession. Then came the iconic Anand in 1971, portraying doctors as highly serious individuals, with little room for humour or warmth. “Even today, many patients expect doctors to be serious and clinical, as if there’s no space for light-hearted conversation,” Dr. Tyagi remarked.

In the 1980s, Dr. Tyagi noted that the portrayal of doctors started to incorporate ethical grey areas. The 1982 film Bemisal showed doctors engaged in illegal abortions, a rare portrayal of unethical behaviour in the profession at that time. The 1990 film Ek Doctor Ki Maut depicted the struggles of a doctor developing a malaria vaccine who faces institutional resistance, ultimately being demoted and sent to a remote village.

Dr. Tyagi highlighted Munnabhai MBBS (2004) as a pivotal point where even a doctor with an unethical background cheating his way into medical school was portrayed sympathetically due to his compassionate ‘Jaadu Ki Jhappi’. Another film, Kyon Ki (2009), introduced the ethical debate around euthanasia, a topic not previously explored in mainstream Hindi cinema.

Moving to more recent portrayals, Dr. Tyagi cited the 2015 film Waiting, which focused on the financial and emotional toll on families of patients, raising questions of overcharging by hospitals. Andhadhun (2018) depicted a kidney racket, with a doctor complicit in the crime. Dr. Tyagi also touched on the 2019 film Kabir Singh, which features a doctor with anger issues and a drug addiction who continues to practise. “The doctor was portrayed as a hero and the film was a hit,” Dr. Tyagi noted.