London, July 15, 2006
Karan Singh
NRI press
NRI doctor Nikhil Kaushik, a consultant ophthalmologist,
of Wrexham Maelor Hospital in North Wales, UK has
written a script of movie "Bhavishya - The
Future" and it is to be shot in the hospital
where he works, his own house, some scenes (local
doctors involved) in New Delhi and Haridwar , in Uttaranchal.
It is scheduled for release in end of August
Bhavishya movie revolves around a young couple,
both doctors, who meet and work in the backdrop of
their profession. The film explores issues concerning
medical migration.
Dr. Kaushik said, "It occurred to me that a
film like this may be more authentic if the actors
came from within the profession, and that is how I
set about casting the characters for my film. Any
one who plays a doctor on screen is a real doctor.
The script has aspects of a NRI doctors's life, and
depicts the day to day life of Indian doctors in the
UK, their personal fears, family and social issues
as they really are."
"I have always had an interest in arts and media,
I have acted and directed many stage plays., also
worked as a Radio Announcer for the Delhi Station
of All India Radio and BBC Radio Manchester. I have
also acted in Plays for Delhi TV, during my college
days in Delhi," says Kaushik.
I graduated from Maulana Azad Medical College and
came to Britain in 1977 and has been in Wrexham since
1987. "As a doctor I have often felt that the
medical profession is not accurately presented. Doctors
are either depicted as gods or corrupt people only
interested in money. So I wanted to put across reality
of a doctors' life, particularly of young doctors
of today who have so much expectations placed upon
them
Saeed Jafferey was very enthusiastic about this idea
and he features in this film too. But there are professional
actors too in this film including the well-known Kimti
Anand. However the doctors have also performed so
well that it will be difficult for viewers to separate
the professionals from the new comers, says Kaushik.
The Future is a love story wrapped up in music and
dance. Lyrics for two of the six songs have been penned
by Mr Kaushik himself. It includes songs in typical
Bollywood style and features doctors from real life
in Britain and India.
The leading pair is Akansha Tyagi and Vikrant Gautam)
both Medical Students at the Manchester Medical School.
Dr Rob Lister who is a Consultant Dermatologist, Dr
Bidyut Kumar a Consultant Gynaecologist, Dr Alasdair
Robertson an ENT surgeon and several other doctors
feature in the film
For the Indian sequences also we have doctors such
as Dr. Harish Bhalla, a senior physician in New Delhi,
ad Dr Renuka Kaul-Nigam another doctor working with
the ESI, in Delhi.
Saeed Jaffrey, known for his roles in films including
A Passage to India and My Beautiful Laundrette, will
be taking part in the party scene with some "health-related
messages"
The film also looks at India from the eyes of young
generation of British Indians, and tells what is so
attractive about India to the NRI kinds.
One journal added that Kaushik hopes to hold the
film's 'world premiere' in the town where he lives
and works, at the end of August. He said, "Films
have been a passion of mine. There are a lot of dramas
based on hospitals, which, by and large, focus on
arguments about hospital resources and fighting between
managers and doctors.
It is estimated that Dr. Kaushik has spent 100 000
pounds on the film and he says: "Making the money
back is not an issue. I just wanted to do it."