27 December,2020 12:22 PM IST | Mumbai | A Correspondent
Dr Arup Senapati dances to Ghungroo in a PPE kit to cheer up COVID-19 patients
Who knew that a video of a doctor on duty in rural Assam, dancing to a peppy Bollywood number, would bring smiles in the most difficult situations? Shared by a doctor friend on Twitter in October, the post spread like wildfire, soon crossing the million mark. The song's original dancers - Hrithik Roshan and Vaani Kapoor - took notice too, as did the international media.
In the video, Dr Arup Senapati, an ENT surgeon at the Silchar Medical College and Hospital, is seen wearing a PPE kit, mask and a face shield, grooving to the track Ghungroo from the 2019 movie War. He does the signature hook step too. "I have loved to dance ever since I was a kid. I learnt by watching videos of Prabhudeva and tapes of Michael Jackson that my father would bring at my insistence. While I don't have professional training, I know I can dance and I used it to cheer up those around me. The atmosphere in a hospital is mostly gloomy. It was my last day after a seven-day grueling duty at the COVID-19 ward. The next day on, the mandatory quarantine was to begin. So, my colleagues asked me to dance for them and a few COVID patients."
Many pointed out how he made sure that his face shield was in place even when acing the steps. Applauding the "terrific spirit" of the doctor, Roshan said that he would like to dance as good as Dr Senapati one day.
An avid dancer, Dr Senapati never missed a competition at the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital, and often won a few. Two months after the performance, people still walk up to him and thank him for the spirit-lifting cheer. "The PPE is difficult to work in and thousands of frontline warriors wear it for several hours at a stretch. The war is far from over, and we are still working every day to beat this. I just wanted to keep the morale up. Dancing not only helps in relaxing, it also keeps us positive and cheerful. That is something we all need right now."
