Over the past twenty years, he has engaged in a wide array of projects; however, it appears that medical drama has emerged as a particular area of expertise for filmmaker Siddharth P Malhotra. The director and producer were instrumental in creating Dill Mill Gayye and Sanjeevani, two of the most beloved medical dramas on television. This year, he has transitioned the genre to streaming with the JioCinema series Doctors. As the series receives praise and affection from viewers, Siddharth shares insights regarding the creative process behind its production.

On the difference between TV and OTT

Siddharth discusses the distinctions between producing a medical drama for television and for over-the-top (OTT) platforms. He notes, "Throughout the entirety of Dill Mill Gayye and Sanjeevani, there were no fatalities. I have created nearly 1000 episodes of medical dramas without a single death occurring. Viewers often questioned the nature of a hospital where no one dies. On television, the emphasis is placed on romantic storylines and dramatic elements. In contrast, I was able to explore various narrative threads without any constraints from the platform."

The filmmaker emphasizes that the streaming medium, which operates without stringent regulations, enabled him to portray a more authentic representation. "All the scenarios depicted in the show are based on real-life events, including topics such as euthanasia, organ donation, and assaults on police officers," he explains. He further elaborates, "Television regulations restrict the depiction of blood and surgical procedures. Therefore, it becomes challenging to authentically represent the medical aspects of a drama in that format. In our production, we utilized prosthetics to illustrate the heart and surgical incisions. Our actors underwent two weeks of training with actual surgeons. Notably, the close-up shots of hands belong to real doctors, as we aimed to achieve a high level of realism."

The Realism of Doctors

Medical professionals confront numerous sensitive topics, as noted by Siddharth. Initially, there was one storyline that caused uncertainty for the filmmaker. "We had discussions regarding the euthanasia storyline. Currently, there is legislation in India, but during our filming, it existed in a legal grey area. Now, we can petition the court for euthanasia. However, we wrote this two years ago and debated its inclusion due to potential legal ramifications," he explains.

The filmmaker emphasizes that he and his team overcame their reservations upon recognizing the significant opportunity before them. "We faced no constraints from any channel or platform, which enabled us to explore themes we had previously been restricted from addressing. Nevertheless, we were committed to handling the subject matter with sensitivity," he states.

The cast of Doctors includes Sharad Kelkar, Harleen Sethi, Viraf Patell, Aamir Ali, and Vivaan Shah. The series premiered on JioCinema on December 27.

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