Music, medicine and mishap

When we recently spoke to the doctor with rhythmic vocal cords, Palash Sen, he wasn’t sounding too interested in his musical career.
He says, “Kaam karne ka mann hi nahin karta tha,” and explains the reason, “One of the band members (he doesn’t wish to name him) has been immensely non-cooperative past few years. I have been bearing the misbehaviour for so long, but when I couldn’t bear with it anymore, all hell broke lose.It even took a toll on my mind and body. I realised that much later.” What really appened, he does not wish to disclose, but remarks, “I don’t want to wash my dirty laundry in public. All I am upset for is that all these years, Euphoria has never had any controversy or even any differences, so when such a thing happens, it is very unfortunate.” Despite knowing that issues popping up within a band is nothing new, it still lowered his spirits. “While I was being assisted by DJ, Prashant, Rakesh and Ashwani (rest of the band members) in all my projects, it was this one person who created so much negativity around me that I didn’t even feel like working. All these years, I put in so much effort to keep the band together; it wasn’t easy, but nevertheless, we had to lose him,” he rues, while remembering how the band had to lose another member some time back.
But resuming his euphoria, he shares how it is to manage two healing professions (apart from the third alternative one – acting) simultaneously, that too for 11 years. “Music is not always relaxing; at times, too many sounds can drive you mad,” he feels. Seldom does a musician say that, but this orthopaedic surgeon, makes no bones about it, pun intended. He began singing quite early in life, but never visualised his musical inclination.
“I always and always planned to be a doctor. I guess it was destiny.” This fourth generation doc of his family almost had a fourth career – expected out of him. “My father wanted me to be a cricketer like Polly Umrigar, which is why I’m often called Palash ‘Polly’ Sen. But I didn’t want to be. Anyways, how many careers can I have in a lifetime?” he asks.
He feels blessed to have been a part of the two worlds. “At home, I have my clinic and on one side and my music room on the other; I can easily jump between the two whenever I want to. Not everyone gets such an opportunity. I often call it a beautiful mishap,” he says.
Palash seems to be a maverick, when he says, “If you compose and write simple music, you can always come up with good songs, and that’s what I have done.”
A Dose Of Humour
How did the name ‘Euphoria’ come up for your band?
“Well, the other options were diarrhoea, pyorrhea, and malaria – so Euphoria sounded much better,” he says. And then gives the medical explanation, “Mania is the first stage of psychological disorder. The second stage is hypomania, which is the state of euphoria – a state of high. And I believe a person is at his creative best in such a state; hence the name.”
Many doctors want their kids to follow the same profession. What are your plans for your children?
“Well, my favourite joke is that ‘they can do whatever they want to... once they become doctors.’” Both his kids are creative. While Kinshuk has been singing for a few years, his younger daughter had her first Kathak recital recently.