According to the doctors, the band usually meets twice a week after 9.30 pm at Bokil's nursing home, where a soundproof room has been its base for the past 23 years, to prepare for shows. LAST NOVEMBER, a group of paediatricians, oncologists, radiologists and dentists from Pune performed for their band, Doctors’ Orchestra for Charity and Social Service (DOCS), at a local school. So impressed were members of the audience that one of them, a retired Army officer, asked the band if it would perform for the armed forces. Five months on, the team of 19 doctors is leaving Friday night for Assam and Arunachal Pradesh to entertain soldiers in Missamari, Tenga and Tawang. The theme: “Romance ke rang, docs ke sang”.
“This is such a proud moment for us, to play for our soldiers who are away from their families for most of the year,” says Dr Dasmit Singh, who heads the Indian Association of Pediatric Surgeons and is one of the founders of DOCS.
“Love is the theme for these shows,” says Dr Kamlesh Bokil, an oncologist with his own nursing home in Pune. Singh chips in, “It could be about mother’s love, love for the nation, or a lover yearning for his soulmate.”
#WATCH | A team of 19 doctors from #Pune performing for their band, Doctors' Orchestra for Charity and Social Service (DOCS) is set to leave tonight for #Assam and #Arunachal Pradesh to entertain soldiers pic.twitter.com/fQBZOfpz8p
— Express PUNE (@ExpressPune) April 14, 2023
“That show in November went off very well,” says Bokil. “During the subsequent dinner, we were approached by Lt General Rajendra Nimbhorkar (retd), who asked us if we would like to perform for the armed forces. All of us agreed in unison. Soon, the dates of the show, and other details related to travel and local transportation, were decided,” he says.
“We asked what kind of music was expected from the team and the response was romantic numbers. So we started shortlisting romantic songs from the black-and-white era to current numbers,” he says.
Singh, who is a rhythmist, says the band is planning “to build the tempo” in each of the three shows on April 15, 16 and 18. “Our list of 22 songs includes popular numbers like ‘Senorita’ from the movie ‘Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara’, the super-hit ‘Aa Jaane Jaan’ from the movie ‘Inteqam’ and so on,” he says.
Says Lt Gen Nimbhorkar (retd), “I asked them whether they would like to perform for the soldiers and suggested Kashmir-Leh-Ladakh or the Northeast. I suggested the Northeast and the doctors readily agreed. After speaking to the authorities concerned, the doctors will now perform at Missamari, Tenga and Tawang. Our soldiers really look forward to such events. They feel that someone cares for them.”
According to the doctors, the band usually meets twice a week after 9.30 pm at Bokil’s nursing home, where a soundproof room has been its base for the past 23 years, to prepare for shows.
So far, DOCS have conducted around 250 shows and raised several crores as part of its charitable initiative to aid cancer patients, the differently abled and NGOs in the field of mental health.
“Over the years, some of us left to pursue careers in different cities but the team is never short of a player — there are so many enthusiasts here,” says Singh.
Apart from Singh, Bokil is the guitarist and Dr Supriya is the band’s lead singer. Joining them is Dr Tejas Joshi on the keyboard; physician Dr Sudhir Sonawane as lead guitarist and the father-son duo of singers Dr Chandrakant Athalye and Dr Sachin Athalye.
The team also includes singer and ophthalmologist Dr Vaijayanti Gadre, homeopath and guitarist Dr Abhijeet Ranade, dermatologist Dr Vinita Joshi, cardiac nutritionist Dr Vibha Deshpande and ayurveda specialist and singer Dr Dhanashree Laigude.
Compering the shows are dermatologist Dr Prasanna Gadre and homeopath Dr Manasi Arkadi.
All of them will be supported by medico-social workers and full-time musicians Sanjay Khadye (rhythm), Mandar Deo (keyboard) and Chandrashekhar Gaikwad (dholak and tabla). Mohit Namjoshi is the sound engineer for DOCS.
“We came together for a final rehearsal on April 1 at Poona Club. Since then, we have been busy wrapping up our OPDs and surgeries. At the same time, we have also been servicing and tuning our guitars, and other musical instruments, and perfecting the songs,” says Singh.