You are in the right hands

Nonika Singh

Hamare mohalle mein ladke cricket khelte hai aur ladkiyan badminton.

We may delude ourselves in believing that we are slowly marching towards a gender neutral world. But the truth is gender typecasting continues to prevail in our society. While many a film has revolved around a woman knocking those stereotypes and making it big in a man’s world, Dr G is quite the reverse. Here, a man an MBBS doctor finds himself in an all-woman domain that is the medical field of gynaecology.

Indeed, most women are more comfortable approaching a female doctor for their gynaecological problems. Dr Uday is acutely aware of this and much time is spent in establishing how he does not want to be a gynaecologist but an orthopaedic doctor. And, when out of compulsion he does how he is a misfit. Humour flows easily as the narrative takes us along his line of resistance. Women in his class where he is the only male add to the mirth. The film addresses his inhibitions in an entertaining and amusing fashion. Though not all jokes land… the tone remains light and there is fair peppering of references to other films right from Kabir Singh to Avengers. Medical terms too float but there is no excessive jargon.

Ayushmann Khurrana as Dr Uday is in his comfort zone and reminds you of his Vicky Donor days. From a sperm donor to a doctor studying to be a gynaecologist he retains the same freshness yet adds gravitas. He is just the right fit for a part to which he brings a requisite degree of awkwardness and finally gentleness. His superior, Dr Nandini, (Shefali Shah in form like always) tells him to lose the male touch and acquire the doctor’s touch. And slowly we see him waking up to the magic of bringing a new life into this world by helping a woman deliver a child. And the film establishes its core premise by first half. Now that it has said what we thought it set out to that too while touching an emotional chord… where does it go from here.

Well, it turns the lens towards his personal life which apart from romantic interest Dr Fatima (Rakul Preet Singh) also includes a single mom (sterling Sheeba Chaddha), who loves to cook with an intention of turning a pro and is on tinder as well. When his girlfriend tells him ‘ladkiyon ki baat tumhe sunai nahi deti…’ well it applies not only to fair sex of his age but mother too. How he is ok with his cousin having an extra-marital affair that too with an underage girl and has compunctions about his mom seeking male company is one of the many things that the film cares to impress upon. Yes, most of its messaging is on point. After all inhabiting a woman’s world can only awaken and make our lead protagonist a better human being.

But post intermission the dramatic detour, the seed for which of course was sown in the first half is rather distracting. If the misdemeanour of his cousin an established orthopedician dating an underage girl makes you squirm in the first hour, the second half is all about carrying this subplot further to a logical ethical conclusion.

Medical ethics, morality all come into play…and the film does become a little messy and distracting. Sure actors continue to hold your attention and impress. Rakul Preet Singh apart from looking lovely gets the nuances of her character which is not quite straitlaced. The way their romantic liaison climaxes is unconventional too. Finally, the film may not exactly be what the doctors’ ordered but is certainly not a vestigial organ. Debut film of Anubhuti Kashyap (Anurag Kashyap’s sister), it makes more than a point without weighing you down with overt preaching.