There are those who choose one path and those who sail two boats with grace, one such person is Dr Niranjan Samani. He balances two worlds; one grounded in medicine, the other soaring with creativity. He lives between operation theatres and performance stages, between healing lives and reflecting on them.
When he first stepped into the hallways of Father Mullers Medical College located in the coastal quiet of Mangalore in his hometown, Niranjan was an introvert struggling to find his footing. Words didn’t come easily and neither did friendships. The world of medicine, with its rigid syllabi and long nights, seemed like an ocean, and he a solitary swimmer trying to find shore.
A defining moment came during a kayaking trip with his batchmates. As the group drifted off together, he found himself paddling alone, not just on the water, but in life. That moment of isolation, in the heart of a river, led to a quiet but powerful resolve: something had to change; and change it did.
What began as a whisper of defiance became a declaration of reinvention. He took a simple yet bold decision to post on social media determined to break out of his shell. He began posting about music, health awareness, and eventually, comedy. What began as an experiment became a passion, and somewhere along the way, he fell in love with acting.
His content resonated. His inbox filled with heartfelt messages from strangers who found comfort, education, and laughter in his videos. Today, that once introverted medical student has amassed over a million followers on Instagram and over 3,00,000 subscribers on YouTube.
While dabbling in the field of theatre in the two-year break he took post his MBBS, he bagged an award-winning short film. He is now the founder of his own production house and is involved in several creative ventures including a film project.
Despite his achievements under the stage light, he spent long hours under the surgical lights proving his commitment to medicine remained unwavering. Currently a final year MS Obstetrics and Gynaecology resident, one case in particular etched itself to his memory.
A young mother pregnant for the first time came to the hospital at time fully dilated but the baby wasn’t descending. Fetal bradycardia began to set in and a C-section was urgently needed. But the family, steeped in fear and misinformation, hesitated refusing consent. Minutes turned into a desperate negotiation. Eventually, they brought the patient into the operation theatre but it was too late and the baby couldn’t be saved.
That day, Dr Samani learned a lesson that the right decision at the wrong time is still a tragedy. Since then, he has made it a mission to educate communities in the rural areas, tackling health myths, especially those surrounding childbirth.
As a takeaway message, he says that the journey of becoming a doctor is a beautiful rollercoaster that will surprise, challenge and one’s self. He advices medical students to imbibe as many clinical skills as possible, to learn to talk to patients with care and to never disrespect or underestimate the gift that doctors carry; to be able to bring new lives to the world and rescue one from the brink of death.
Although he received criticism for managing two pursuits together, for Dr Niranjan Samani, the scalpel and the script are not at odds but they twin instruments in the same orchestra. Whether in an operation theatre or under stage lights, his cue has never changed: “Lights, Camera, Action”.
(This article was curated by the content and digital team at Humans of Medicare: Siddhant Kashyap, Varuni Vats, Aishwarya Jain, Aditi Gawit and Dhrishya Senthilkumar.)
