Chennai  :

By day he is a laparoscopic surgeon who spends long hours in the theatre. Once night falls, though, he exchanges the white coat for the guitar, and the hospital for karaoke bars.

“In the last two years, I have been singing a lot,” says Dr J S Rajkumar, chairman, Lifeline Rigid Hospitals, who used to sing and play the guitar through medical college. After a hiatus from the world of music, he decided to take it up again, taking time out from his busy schedule.

“All of us wait for that golden period when you can have your books, guitar and be with friends, but that is a myth. You have to pick up that book or guitar and be with friends right now, or never do it,” he says.

Like Rajkumar, many doctors who are also ardent musicians are “taking up old arms” now that they have established a name for themselves in the medical profession. In a few months’ time, a group of them will come together to perform at ‘Doctors’ Special’, a concert being organised by musician-drummer ‘Pioneer’ Suresh. The concert, to be held soon after the December music season, will feature film numbers, mainly Tamil and Hindi, from the 1960s onwards.

“There is a misconception that only professional singers are talented, but I believe music is there in every human,” says Suresh, who has his own band, Bharti Entertainers, and has played for singers like K J Yesudas, Shweta Mohan and Vani Jayaram. “I found many talented doctors and decided to form a group so that they get a platform to showcase their talent.”

Some of the doctors who will be performing in the concert have had formal training in music. Dr Chandrasekhara Chandilya, head of department of internal medicine in Apollo Hospitals, learnt Carnatic music and mridangam.

No novice to the stage, he also had his own music troupe. “Since I had my own practice then, I could make time for shows,” says the 61-year-old. Though his singing had to take a back seat from 2000, as he moved to Sri Lanka, he took it up again a decade later. “I have sung for DD Podhigai’s ‘Thullatha Manamum Thullum’,” says Dr Chandilya, who sings mostly in Tamil, though he has sung a few Hindi and Malayalam numbers too.

The senior consultant physician and cardio-diabetologist, who was earlier with Ilayaraja’s troupe, did playback singing and even tried his hand at music direction. “I did it for three movies, but only one was released,” he says. “Everybody in Chennai knows me as the singing doctor,” he says.

For many of them, singing is a stress buster. While it “gives an element of calm” to Dr Rajkumar’s frazzled nerves, for eye surgeon Dr J Chandrakanth, it is a way to destress. “I didn’t do professional concerts though I performed through school and college,” says Dr Chandrakanth, who learnt Carnatic music violin recital and Bharatanatyam for 10 years.

While all of them are passionate about music, medicine was their career of choice.

Having carved a niche for themselves in the world of medicine, they are now keen to pursue their passion. “I recently performed at the Don Bosco reunion with DB School of Rock,” says Dr Rajkumar. “It was a success. We are now planning to form a classic rock band.”

Right now, though, they are all looking forward to the Doctors’ Special. “There are so many of us out there who have talent, it is a good platform to showcase our talent,” says Dr Chandilya.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Chennai / by Priya Menon, TNN / October 28th, 2014