‘Bahut Acha Laga, Aapne Itna Mehanat Kiya’ (Felt Good Seeing The Video, You had Worked Hard For It)Compliments India’s Melody Queen Mrs Lata Mangeshkar aka Lata Didi to City Doctor Dr Gautham Kulamarava a practicing Renowned ENT surgeon at Maithri Speciality Clinic, Mangaluru, and also in Kasaragod, and is also a visiting doctor at Father Muller Hospital A J Hospital, Mangala Nursing Home and among others, on His Video, uploaded on Saturday 4 July 2020, which included the popular track by Lata Mangeshkar ‘Aye Mere Watan Ke Logo’ being sung in the background while he paid tribute to the fallen heroes and to those who lost their lives due to coronavirus.
Mangaluru: From nurses to shopkeepers, doctors to bus drivers, thousands of people have died with coronavirus across the world and India, including Karnataka and Dakshina Kannada. People who were dearly loved, people who may have had many more years ahead of them had the pandemic not engulfed the world. The novel coronavirus pandemic has left an indelible mark on Indians of all ages and from all walks of life. The death toll has climbed well over the grim milestone of nearly 20,000 deaths, including 24 in DK– more than the deadliest flu season in recent years and at such a startlingly quick pace that it forced the unprecedented shutdown of the country’s economy.
Those we’ve lost come from all backgrounds and include the very people — first responders and medical staff — who have been working so diligently and selflessly to stem the tide of the infection and care for the sick. But the virus has also highlighted the disparities in India. — taking a disproportionate toll on communities of color, the elderly and the poor and calling attention to a new class of essential workers who don’t have the protections of traditional first responders. It looks like In India more people have been killed by COVID-19 than any other diseases or violence. The impact of this pandemic is orders of magnitude greater than any infectious disease event of recent memory. And unfortunately, with such a small proportion of the population infected, we are only at the beginning of these devastating times.”
Renowned ENT Surgeon Dr Guatham Kulamarava
Luminaries in the arts, educators, doctors, nurses, health care workers, other professionals, migrants, and others are among the dead. Variously described as heroes, caring parents and loving family members, they will never be forgotten. And remembering these heroes who lost their lives during the pandemic, a City doctor came out with a novel idea by making a tribute video- and the video which went viral on Saturday, 4 July had a description which read, “A video tribute to all the front line workers of this world who are our first line of defence in safe-guarding our lives. Adapted to the song by the iconic Bharat Ratna Lata Didi. It has its thumbnail as a black screen, there is no title nor are there any credits. It’s all about remembering the people who have sacrificed themselves striving to make this world a better place to live. Long live their memories,”.
Melody Queen Lata Mangeshkar
The video included the popular track by Lata Didi-‘Aye Mere Watan Ke Logo’ being sung in the background while he paid tribute to the fallen heroes and to those who lost their lives due to coronavirus. In the video, the ENT surgeon also paid tribute to a 90-year-old woman from Belgium who succumbed to the virus after she refused to be put on a ventilator so that young people who really needed it could be saved. The video also featured instances of doctors being attacked and people flouting the health norms. The video has a black screen for thumb nail. It has neither credits nor a title.
And the man behind this video is Dr Gautham Kulamarava, a practicing Renowned ENT surgeon at Maithri Speciality Clinic, Mangaluru, who also practices in Kasaragod; and also a visiting doctor at Father Muller Hospital, A J Hospital, Yenepoya Hospital, Mangala Nursing Home, among others. Having done his MBBS from KMC Hubbali; MS from KEM Hospital, Mumbai; Dr Gautham did his MRCS and DOHNS from the UK. He has been practicing ENT in India and locally for the past twelve years.
Speaking to Team Mangalorean over the phone from Kasaragod, Dr Gautham said, “This is a video made in remembrance of all the lives lost during this pandemic as well as in other epidemics such as the recent Nipah virus. The video pays tribute to all the fallen front line workers from various walks of life as well as common people who have sacrificed their lives in this pandemic. It was a part of this year’s Doctors Day guest speech for Indian Medical Association (IMA)- Kasaragod Chapter.The video was edited with technical help from Saiprasad of Final Cut Studio.
When asked about the surprise call that he received from India’s Melody Queen Lata Mangeshkar, Dr Gautham said, “It was one of the most memorable calls in my life when I received a call from singing legend Lata Mangeshkar. I got the call from Her the day after my video was uploaded a video, where I had paid tribute to COVID-19 warriors, victims and soldiers who sacrificed their lives on the borders. Lata Didi said “Bahut Acha Laga, Aapne Itna Mehnant Kiya”, in English it meant, “Felt Good Seeing The Video, You Had Worked Hard For It”. Lata Didi also recalled how she was treated by the doctors when she was hospitalized in Mumbai, and had great respect for the doctors. I have been a big fan of Lata Mangeshkar. It was an unexpected call and a dream come true for me. This was a reward for me and the best reward would be if people take care of themselves and stay safe from the pandemic,”.
“Prior to release of my video, I was invited to speak on the occasion of Doctor’s Day, at a programme arranged by Indian Medical Association (Kasaragod Chapter) in Kasaragod. It is sad to note that health workers handling and fighting those affected with coronavirus have lost their lives. The disease has killed thousands in the country so far and nobody was in a mood to celebrate. So I decided to create this video. Within minutes after I released it, the video was widely shared in several social media groups. My intention of making this video was not for publicity or personal,gains. There is nothing precious than saving lives… The real tribute to all those who lost their lives will be when we all come together to fight the virus by staying safe and being sensible,”.
Team Mangalorean appreciates the efforts and thoughts put in by Dr Gautham Kulamarava in bringing out this emotional and sentimental video, which has touched the hearts of many viewers, and also paid great respect to the fallen heroes of the pandemic, who were either doctors, nurses, students, teachers, policemen, firefighters, and ordinary citizen. They came from every level of society, every state, every race, every age. Their loved ones had no idea how they had contracted COVID-19. But the sickness that followed hewed to a grim, familiar trajectory, one that felled grandfathers/grandmothers and grandsons/granddaughters alike. May their souls Rest In Peace!
