The sin in medicine

When the much-awaited The Lunchbox opens on Friday, the audiences will probably be surprised by some pre-show teasers. These trailers belong to a documentary made by an Indo-Irish filmmaker and it deals with a rather grave subject: the rampant malpractices in pharmaceutical MNCs across the world.

Dylan Mohan Gray

Narrated by Oscar-winning actor William Hurt who didn't charge a penny for his services, Dylan Mohan Gray's Fire in the Blood sheds light on commercialisation of medicines and the price patients pay either with money or their lives. "My film simply focuses on the three Ms: medicine, monopoly and malice in these huge companies.

A still from Fire in the Blood

However, I'm not the only one highlighting their corporate greed. It's a pity that the past few decades resulted in monumental loss of lives not only in poor countries but also in developed ones," adds the debutant filmmaker who has earlier assisted Deepa Mehta for Earth and Water.

This particular film, which took fours years to complete, premiered at Sheffield, UK the biggest documentary film festival in 2012 before getting showcased in 25 countries. Needless to add, its 44-year-old director is upbeat about receiving a Friday release next month.

"What's more appalling than all the wrongdoings my film tries to highlight is the fact that none of them have been documented or investigated properly till date. The powers-to-be make sure they deflect attention from what's really happening in the name of humanity and commerce," sums up Dylan.

India, ahoy!
Interestingly, India is portrayed in a positive light in Dylan's film. After all, India has been a leading supplier of affordable, high-quality medicine to the world especially to African countries much to rival companies' chagrin.

Oscar-winning William Hurt is the narrator of the documentary