‘EK Doctor Ki Maut’
For couples blessed with a child through IVF, 25 July – World Embryologist Day is celebratory. Louise Joy Brown became the first baby to be conceived through IVF or in vitro fertilisation, so the date is celebrated as World Embryologists Day every year.
Dr Steptoe and Dr Edwards had been working on developing the IVF technique for several years, and in 1978, they successfully implanted an embryo into Lesley Brown’s uterus. The procedure was a success, and nine months later, Louise Joy Brown was born, making headlines worldwide and giving hope to countless couples experiencing infertility.
Louise Joy Brown is an English woman who was the first human to have been born after conception by in vitro fertilisation experiment. Her birth has been lauded among “the most remarkable medical breakthroughs of the 20th Century”. IVF is a fertility treatment where an egg is fertilised by sperm outside the woman’s body in a laboratory dish. Then the resulting embryo is implanted into the woman’s uterus. Test tube baby is the commonly used term for fertilising the human egg outside the womb.
The First IVF in India
The first successful IVF procedure in India was performed by Dr Subhash Mukhopadhyay, an Indian physician and researcher, on October 3, 1978, just a few months after Louise Joy Brown, the world’s first IVF baby.
Dr Mukhopadhyay worked at the Institute of Post-Graduate Medical Education and Research (IPGMER) in Kolkata, India. He was inspired by the work of Dr Patrick Steptoe and Dr Robert Edwards. Despite facing significant scepticism and a lack of support from the medical community, Dr Mukhopadhyay persisted in his research and successfully performed the IVF procedure on two patients.
One of the patients, Durga, became pregnant through IVF, and her pregnancy progressed successfully. Unfortunately, due to the lack of recognition and support for his work and facing controversies surrounding the ethics of his research, Dr Subhash Mukhopadhyay’s pioneering achievement was not immediately acknowledged internationally. Tragically, feeling disheartened and unsupported, the doctor committed suicide in 1981. However, his work and contributions to the field of reproductive medicine were later recognised, and he is now acknowledged as one of the pioneers of IVF technology in India.
The forgotten hero of IVF
The man behind the first Indian life outside the womb sadly had a tragic end.
Dr Mukti, the Bengali film based on the life and work of Dr Mukhopadhyay directed by Tapan Sinha, was released in 1990, starring Mithun Chakraborty in the lead role. The film provides insight into the life of Dr Mukhopadhyay, his achievements, and the recognition he received posthumously for his pioneering work in IVF technology.
In Hindi, the film was titled “Ek Doctor Ki Maut”, directed by Tapan Sinha, released in 1990, inspired by the life of Dr Mukhopadhyay with Pankaj Kapoor in the lead role as Dr Roy. The film portrays the challenges faced by Dr Roy and his family as he fights for recognition and acceptance of his pioneering research. It delves into themes of professional jealousy, academic politics, and the toll that the pursuit of scientific progress can take on an individual.
The film is known for its realistic portrayal of the struggles faced by scientists and researchers in India and sheds light on the lack of support for indigenous scientific advancements during that time. That’s how ass a country, we failed the creator of India’s first test tube baby.
The film received critical acclaim and won several National Film Awards in India, including the National Film Award for Best Feature Film. Pankaj Kapur’s performance as Dr Dipankar Roy was particularly praised for its depth and authenticity.
