‘Doctor G’ — A problematic film whose activism gets superseded by its glorification of the toxic ragging culture

A logical fallacy used by film critics and some fans in India is that if a film deals with a social message or a serious subject, it is a good film. No questions asked. Everybody is supposed to accept this mandate; if you do not accept this, then you are a bad person, you have a low I.Q. End of discussion. 

A common trait amongst many Ayshmann Khurrana’s films (with notable exceptions like Andhadhun, Gulabo  Sitabo, Article 15 etc.) is that they lack director’s identity. If you removed the director’s name from films like Badhai Ho, Shubh Mangal Saavdhan, Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan, Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui etc., you would not be able to tell who directed which film; although all of them have a different director, yet they look to be directed by same person. For this reason Bala was a great Ayushmann Khurrana film because, despite having the usual successful elements, it had a strong directorial presence.

© Junglee Pictures

The trouble with Doctor G is that other than being overly run-of-the-mill it tries to be didactic on too many subjects. If it were as funny as the aforementioned films of his, it would be acceptable. This is, however, a deeply problematic film. For a film that champions a few good causes, it condones and glorifies the toxic culture of ragging. This shameless hypocrisy alone nullifies and cheapens the outcome. There is no glory in ragging. No matter who does it, it is toxic. No human being deserves to go through such degradation. If the character were ragged in a different country, it would have been called racism and there would be serious discussions but since the bigotry takes place here itself, we are told that it is acceptable. Some people argue that ragging culture is there to toughen people up. Do racism, sexual harassment, domestic violence, discrimination toughen people? Even if they may, it does not that give perpetrators the right to commit those heinous acts.

Doctor G tries to champion too many issues starting from the embarrassment of a male gynaecologist, complicated relationships, gender equality, a mother’s desire to have her own life, statutory rape and so forth. Thankfully Doctor G is only two hours long, otherwise it would have lectured on drug addiction, illegal mining, human trafficking, unemployment and other problems faced by the ordinary world. The only comedy you see was there in the trailer. Eventually it becomes distasteful and patronising, as if you were tied on your chair, with your mouth taped, and forced to listen to their sermons. 

The film's endorsement of so-called complicated relationships is no better. The complicated relationships suit teenage or immature relationships, but mature adults, doctors in their twenties and thirties pretending to be in complicated relationships look idiots. 

Success can make people defensive. Ironically for someone like Ayushmann Khurrana, who was known to do bold subjects and deviate from successful formulas, he is now trapped in his own image. Since the pandemic, his popularity has taken a nosedive. It is time for him to get out of the treadmill of social messages and surrender himself to his directors with a vision, instead of clueless yuppies and dissemblers.

I would like to make it clear that I do not intend to condemn the idea of addressing social issues through cinema, but it ought be done in a tasteful manner. Not every film has to be meant for entertainment but at the same time it does not mean that every film has to be didactic, sombre or devoid of entertainment. The very point of cinema is to tell stories, different types of stories in different ways. I watch a film to be entertained or to be told a story, I do not pay money to be lectured by the billionaire studio executives.