Ek Doctor Ki Maut

A great film. It is a depressing tale of how the Indian govt, bureaucracy and jealousy kill a spirited, maverick medical scientist's original work which leaves him shattered and devastated. The delicate relationship between the doctor, who totally ignores domestic and family life immersing himself into research and his wife is portrayed so nicely.

It is a NFDC production and certainly belongs to the art house genre. The direction and screenplay are realistic and natural. The brilliant performances by Shabana Azmi and Pankaj Kapur in lead roles are so full of life and emotion. The background music with the full flair of Bengal is touching and throbbing in many frames of the film.

The movie was inspired a real life personality Subhash Mukhopadhyay, who was the first scientist in the world to create IVF baby, but was denied that honor and eventually committed suicide.

The film brought alive the overall cynicism and social mores around 70s and 80s. There is lot of public anger over state apathy and corruption in today's India too. The non recognition of true talent by the state and the society, humiliation (instead of recognition) for hard work - this still exists in some quarters. But, I think, things have improved and become better to a far greater extent compared to the times that this film portrays. After watching the film, I was overcome also with a sense of relief, along with depression and despondency, perhaps out of this reason.

I guess when a director (that too as acclaimed as Tapan Sinha) starts off with a script as strong as this one, the expectations are bound to be high. And to our very good fortune, the end product lives up to its expectations. The story is that of a doctor(Pankaj Kapur....FYI...Ek Doctor Ki Maut means 'Death of a Doctor') who is trying to find a cure for leprosy.

The trouble is he works for a Government Hospital, and all the research is being done at his home laboratory. With no one to support him except his wife(Shabana Azmi), he has to fight his way out of the system to get his work noticed.

Ultimately when he actually finds out the cure, due to lack of proper facilities, he publishes the paper a bit too late. Some other researcher from another nation had already presented the cure.

All through the movie the doctor(played as convincingly as possible by Pankaj Kapur) has to fight the press(who think he is playing a con), his fellow doctors(to try to suppress him and later try to steal his invention) and the bureaucracy and red tap-ism of the system.

By the end of the movie one becomes hopelessly frustrated with the system and begins to feel the pain and anguish of the doctor. As the movie ends on a tragic note, one is left to wonder how many other doctors, scientists, inventors of India(or other such corrupt developing nations) have missed out on their chance to fame and glory.

Its a movie made from the heart. Don't miss it !!.

I watched the movie in the 90's when I was in school. I loved it then and I love the movie now. Greatest movie ever made in Indian film industry. ( Film industry doesn't include bollywood but all the regional film industries in India).

I think the other reviewers have said what I wanted to say already.

I just have to say this films is a top 10 best movies made in India. Too bad these films are largely ignored by Indian masses and most NRI's, who like to watch the no brain entertainers like KKKH, KKKG, DDLJ, Ready, Bodyguard etc..

This is a truly a film India can be proud of and show at international film festivals to western audiences and critics alike.

I wish Indians started to support films like these more and films made by Govind Nihlani, Shyam Benegal etc.. and this this would encourage more production of such movies.

This is a truly outstanding movie based on a real life story.Pankaj Kapur adds such passion to the character of the Doctor who spends 10 years of his life coming out with a vaccine against leprosy.In the process he totally ignores his wife Shabana azmi(again a great performance) and she is close to abandoning him.When finally he achieves the breakthrough he finds he has a bigger fight on his hands against the corrupt and lazy govt and scientific community.He gets no support from even his best friend a successful doctor(Vijayendra ghatge) due to jealousy.Though Vijayendra's wife played by deepa sahi sympathizes with Pankaj.Again a very subtle and good performance by Deepa Sahi. The climax forms the remaining story.Pankaj Kapur is definitely a great actor who somehow has not achieved by recognition he deserves.And this movie I think his best performance.