Our 'desi' Patch Adams!

Have you seen the movie, ‘Patch Adams’? In that, do you remember Robbie Willaims being the clown, making the sick children laugh in the hospital?  The movie was based on a real physician in USA, named Patch Adams, who relied on humor and play, as essentials to physical and emotional health.  And looks like we have a Patch Adams in India too.

Pravin Tulpule, he is an ex-Navy officer, having served in the Indian Navy for 17 long years and retired as Lt. Commander Communications Specialist. He also loved magic and after retiring, he honed his skills and soon started going to NGOs, wearing a clown outfit but performing tricks while making the children laugh. He also started visiting pediatric wards of hospitals and most of the time, worked free though he conducted some events to at least keep the kitchen fire burning!

He loves ‘working’ at the pediatric wards of different hospitals where there are children battling various diseases including cancer. He helps them laugh, cuts cake, distributes toys or makes hilarious shapes from balloons – simply to make the children happy. Once, a child was watching him perform from the ICU window pane. Pravin went in, met the child and made the child laugh. He is today the mascot for Toybank and his children also help him in these shows, with them also learning magic.

Indeed people like Pravin are inspiring; they teach us how life can begin anew after retirement and one can use one’s talents for the betterment of those around us. So what talent have you got which can help the society a better place?