Latest news with #TheBrownHeart
Indian Express
12-05-2025
- Health
- Indian Express
Documentary drives home seriousness of heart attacks among South Asians
During a hike at Nainital in Uttarakhand, US-based physician Dr Renu Joshi had chest pain and for a minute was scared she would not make it. Though she recovered, this incident – combined with the alarming number of friends and acquaintances in the South Asian community developing early and severe heart disease, some even passing away — prompted her and her husband, Dr Nirmal Joshi, to take action. The two medical school sweethearts and senior physicians from Pennsylvania with over 70 years of medical practice set out to uncover what was behind this increasing loss of life. In the process, they met more than 40 heart specialists ,well-known actors and directors to now release a documentary drama called The Brown Heart. Released in May this year, the film unites voices from across fields to spark awareness and change and confronts this crisis head-on through real-life stories and expert insights. Heart attacks are a significant health concern, particularly in South Asia where the risk of cardiovascular disease is high and tends to occur earlier in life. According to the World Health Organisation, this premature onset of heart disease is attributed to a combination of genetic factors, lifestyle choices and environmental factors. Dr Nirmal Joshi recalled how Renu and he would discuss the issue and decided to undertake this journey two years ago. 'We travelled to India, USA and UK to gather human stories of survival and loss related to the menace of heart disease in South Asians (from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Srilanka and Nepal). We were able to weave over 100 hours of these interviews into a two-hour documentary film,' Dr Joshi said, adding that a longer version with four 45-minute episodes in the form of a web-series has also been taken up. Dr Joshi, who had earlier written and directed The Hippocratic Oath, a 45-minute digital film that was used for educating doctors in training across the United States, also directed the professional short film Goodnight Giggles that was selected in the Satyajit Ray short film competition at the London Indian Film Festival in November 2023. Dr Renu Joshi, who was also Vice-President of Population Health and Diabetes at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, participated actively in the unique venture. The duo soon connected with Yogendra Singh as the film's associate director. This ambitious project received donations from private donors in Central Pennsylvania but the majority of funding was provided by two couples Hersha and Hasu P Shah and Madhavi and Ramesh Bathini. While in India, the senior doctors travelled to Pune and spent an entire day at the Diabetes Research Unit at KEM Hospital Pune. Dr C S Yajnik, director of the unit who is well-known for his research on the `thin-fat' Indian phenotype said that it was a great effort taken and the film was a one-stop compendium of factors associated with heart attack in young Indians.. Dr Yajnik also encouraged the Joshi's to create 15-minute documentaries with simple, easy-to-understand messages aimed at students in schools and colleges.'This will reinforce the importance of guiding youngsters to take concrete steps to improve their lifestyle, get necessary tests done to assess their risk of future health problems. This is the need of the hour,' he added. The Brown Heart premiered recently on JioHotstar and according to Dr Joshi, they embarked upon this unique venture hoping to bring about a change. 'Even if we can inspire a small percentage of viewers to change after watching the film, our hard work would have been worth it,' Dr Joshi said. Anuradha Mascarenhas is a journalist with The Indian Express and is based in Pune. A senior editor, Anuradha writes on health, research developments in the field of science and environment and takes keen interest in covering women's issues. With a career spanning over 25 years, Anuradha has also led teams and often coordinated the edition. ... Read More
Time of India
04-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
The Brown Heart Review: This documentary is chilling, thought-provoking, and impossible to ignore
Story: Two senior doctors embark on a journey across India, the UK, and the US to investigate the alarming rise in heart attacks among young South Asians, seeking to uncover the underlying causes and raise awareness about this growing health crisis. Review: 'The Brown Heart' is an engaging and quietly alarming documentary that, by the time it ends, almost forces you to pause and reassess your lifestyle choices. Helmed by a husband-wife duo of Indian-origin doctors based in the US, it explores an unsettling health crisis that's spreading through the South Asian community—an unexpected surge in heart attacks among young people. The documentary draws from a wide pool of experts—renowned cardiologists, public health professionals, celebrities, and survivors—and strings together evidence and stories that are as gripping as they are disturbing. What makes this documentary stand out is how it blends emotional testimonies with scientific insight. The result is a film that doesn't just inform; it unsettles. It's hard not to feel a growing sense of unease as the dots begin to connect. You're left with one unavoidable question: if this could happen to them, could it happen to me? This two-hour-plus documentary is the result of a painstaking investigation by Dr. Nirmal Joshi and Dr. Renu Joshi, who together bring over 70 years of clinical experience. Early in the documentary, Devi Shetty, a respected cardiac surgeon, shares a jarring observation: these days, it's not the son bringing in the father for bypass surgery—it's often the other way around. That reversal alone underscores how young the victims have become. Dr. Ankur Kalra, a leading interventional cardiologist, reveals that nearly 70% of South Asian heart attack deaths occur in people aged 30 to 60. Cases like the sudden deaths of singer KK, actor Puneeth Rajkumar, and ten individuals during last year's Garba festivities add a haunting urgency to the narrative. The documentary doesn't dramatize these incidents—it simply presents them. But even that is enough to send a chill down your spine. In their journey across India, the UK, and the US, the Joshi duo focus on three essential questions: How widespread is the epidemic? Why is it hitting South Asians so hard? And—most crucially—what can be done to stop it? The answers are revealed through rigorous data and quiet, devastating facts. South Asians are far more vulnerable than their white counterparts, and India ranks disturbingly high in early-age cardiac deaths. The documentary also dismantles several myths along the way. In a culture where the first signs of a heart attack are often dismissed as mere gas or acidity, early detection becomes a tragic missed opportunity. There's an eerie consistency to the ignorance—people just don't see it coming until it's too late. Perhaps the most powerful aspect of 'The Brown Heart' is how accessible it makes all this information. While medical terms are used, the language remains simple, familiar, and never overwhelming. But the documentary saves its most sobering revelations for the end. Just when you think the worst is over, the focus shifts to food—and it hits hard. Snacks like jalebi and samosa are shown in a new, terrifying light. Trans fats, often dismissed as a buzzword, are revealed to be poison in disguise. Jalebi contains 17% trans fats—compared to the WHO-recommended limit of less than 1%. That statistic alone might make you drop your next plate. 'The Brown Heart' doesn't preach. It educates. But it also disturbs—just enough to get you thinking and maybe, just maybe, changing.
Time of India
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
The Brown Heart Movie 2025
What is the release date of 'The Brown Heart'? Release date of starrer 'The Brown Heart' is 2025-05-03. What is Genre of 'The Brown Heart'? 'The Brown Heart' belongs to 'Documentary' genre.
Time of India
21-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
The Brown Heart OTT Release Date: When and where to watch this hard-hitting documentary on Indian heart epidemic
The Brown Heart OTT Release Date: Heart attacks are no longer a health issue only for the elderly. In fact, in recent years, more and more young Indians in their 30s and 40s are losing their lives to sudden heart failure. It's a silent emergency that's hitting Indian families hard, not just in India but across the world. That's exactly what The Brown Heart, a powerful new documentary, is here to highlight. Releasing on JioHotstar on May 3, this film aims to save lives. It is backed by the Joshi Health Foundation and supported by well-known philanthropists like Hersha & Hasu Shah and Madhavi & Ramesh Bathini. What is The Brown Heart all about? The Brown Heart is a real, emotional, and eye-opening documentary-drama created by US-based Indian doctors Dr. Nirmal Joshi and Dr. Renu Joshi, who have over 70 years of combined medical experience. The documentary explores the rising trend of early, severe, and often fatal heart attacks among Indians, especially men who otherwise seem healthy and active. The film travels through India, the United States, and the UK, collecting honest personal stories from survivors, families who lost their loved ones, and insights from over 40 top heart specialists. It also brings in familiar names from the world of entertainment, who speak openly about health, stress, and how we can do better. More about The Brown Heart Along with expert doctors, The Brown Heart also features voices from the Indian film and music world, such as Naseeruddin Shah, Subhash Ghai, Daler Mehndi, Meghna Gulzar, Rithvik Dhanjani, Bani J, Neeti Palta, Siddhi Idnani and Dr. Pal among others. Dr. Nirmal Joshi, who wrote and directed the documentary, said in a media statement, "The current situation is both frightening and totally unacceptable. So many of our brothers and sisters, and now our children, are dying of early heart attacks, some in their thirties and forties. Our goal, through this film, is to save Indian lives by telling human stories and providing the evidence" Dr. Renu and Dr. Nirmal together added, "This is a unique medical documentary-drama that is created by expert physicians and features the best Indian physician talent in the field, with inspiring human messages from media personalities and others. If we can inspire even a small percentage of viewers to change after watching this film, our hard work would have been worth it."
