Friendship, compassion and the pressures of modern life came together as Shatrughan Sinha and Maneka Gandhi launched Dr Mukesh Batra’s Toxic: Stories, Science, and Remedies for a Cleaner Mind, Body and Spirit, written with Swami Shailendra Saraswati. Published by Bloomsbury India, the book was unveiled at The Lalit, New Delhi.
“Once a friend, always a friend,” said Sinha, speaking affectionately about Dr Batra. “It’s not about just being a friend. We both together form a mutual admiration society.”
His words brought warmth to an occasion that explored the pressures people carry and the damage they sometimes struggle to recognise.
Maneka Gandhi spoke warmly of Dr Batra, describing him as a wonderful human being who has consistently supported the voiceless. Expressing her support for the cause, she praised his compassion and commitment to helping others. She also shared that homeopathy holds a special place in her life, as she uses it in healing animals.
For Dr Batra, the book grew from concerns about both the world around us and the distress people carry within. Speaking at the launch, he drew attention to polluted air, concerns about food and water, digital dependence and the silence surrounding emotional struggles.
“That is why I wrote Toxic—not as a doctor diagnosing a patient, but as a witness to an entire civilization slowly poisoning itself, sometimes with pollutants and sometimes with its own thoughts,” he said.
He spoke about people who are “too anxious, too exhausted, or too ashamed to name what’s wrong”. That silence, alongside strained relationships and the relentless pursuit of more, formed a central concern in his address.
His observations on environmental pollution brought the discussion close to everyday life. Advising someone to take a walk for their health, he pointed out, becomes complicated when the air they breathe is itself polluted. He extended that concern to water, food, plastic and the contamination of the natural resources on which life depends.
Turning to human desire, Dr Batra invoked Ghalib’s “Hazaaron khwahishen aisi” and the familiar sentiment of “Dil maange more”. He reflected on how the constant urge to acquire and achieve can turn into greed, leaving little room for contentment.
With Sinha present, Dr Batra also addressed the emotional pressures of the entertainment industry. Drawing on his experience of treating people from Bollywood, he spoke about the burden behind the glamour, where intense competition and public judgement can make every release feel like a test of survival.
“God sits in the box office every Friday,” he remarked, capturing the uncertainty that accompanies a profession so closely tied to audience response.
He also acknowledged the demands of medicine, where each patient brings a fresh responsibility. His comparison highlighted the human cost of being expected to deliver continually, whether on screen or in a consulting room.
Swami Shailendra Saraswati brought the discussion back to the attention we give our inner lives. “It’s not just about our body. We must pay equal attention to our thoughts, emotions and actions,” he said.
The launch also revealed the affection surrounding its author. Sinha’s tribute to an enduring friendship and Gandhi’s appreciation of Dr Batra’s support for the voiceless gave the occasion a personal significance. Alongside the concerns raised by Toxic, their words made space for compassion, connection and the difference one person can make in the lives of others.
