Shailender Kr Pandey
New Delhi, 21 September
Friendship, compassion, and the pressures of modern life came together as Shatrughan Sinha and Maneka Gandhi launched Dr Mukesh Batra’s book Toxic: Stories, Science, and Remedies for a Cleaner Mind, Body and Spirit, co-authored with Swami Shailendra Saraswati. Published by Bloomsbury India, the book was unveiled in New Delhi on Monday.
Dr Batra, Sinha said, “Once a friend, always a friend. It’s not about just being a friend. We both together form a mutual admiration society.” His remarks brought a personal warmth to an event centred on the pressures people face and the often-unrecognised impact they can have on the mind, body and spirit.
Maneka Gandhi also spoke warmly about Dr Batra, describing him as a wonderful human being who has consistently supported the voiceless. Expressing her support for the concerns addressed in the book, she highlighted his compassion and commitment to helping others. She also shared her personal connection with homeopathy, noting that she uses it in the treatment and care of animals.
For Dr Batra, Toxic emerged from concerns about both the environment around us and the emotional distress many people carry within. Speaking at the launch, he reflected on air pollution, concerns surrounding food and water, digital dependence and the silence that often surrounds emotional struggles. “That is why I wrote Toxic—not as a doctor diagnosing a patient, but as a witness to an entire civilisation slowly poisoning itself, sometimes with pollutants and sometimes with its own thoughts,” he said. He spoke of people who are “too anxious, too exhausted, or too ashamed to name what’s wrong”, pointing to silence, strained relationships and the relentless pursuit of more as recurring sources of distress.
His observations on environmental pollution brought the discussion into the realities of everyday life. He noted that even something as simple as advising someone to take a walk for their health becomes complicated when the air they breathe is polluted. Extending the discussion to water, food and plastic, he highlighted concerns about the contamination of natural resources on which human life depends. Reflecting on human desire, Dr Batra invoked Ghalib’s “Hazaaron khwahishen aisi” alongside the familiar sentiment of “Dil maange more”, drawing attention to how the constant pursuit of acquisition and achievement can gradually give way to greed and leave little space for contentment.
With Sinha present, Dr Batra also reflected on the emotional pressures associated with the entertainment industry. Drawing on his experience treating members of the Bollywood fraternity, he spoke about the pressures behind the glamour, where intense competition and public scrutiny can make every release feel like a test of survival. “God sits in the box office every Friday,” he remarked, capturing the uncertainty and pressure associated with a profession so closely tied to audience response. He also drew a parallel with the medical profession, where every patient brings a new responsibility and expectation, highlighting the human cost of being required to continually perform, whether on screen or in a consulting room.
Swami Shailendra Saraswati brought the conversation back to the importance of paying attention to one’s inner life. “It’s not just about our body. We must pay equal attention to our thoughts, emotions and actions,” he said. The launch also reflected the personal warmth surrounding Dr Batra, with Sinha’s tribute to their enduring friendship and Gandhi’s appreciation of his support for the voiceless adding a deeply human dimension to the occasion. Alongside the concerns explored in Toxic, the evening ultimately underscored themes of compassion, connection and the importance of recognising the difference one person can make in the lives of others.
