‘Everything is made into a joke; subject handled with carelessness’: Dr Haris Chirakkal on ‘Hridayapoorvam’

Senior doctor Dr. Haris Chirakkal has strongly criticised the Malayalam film Hridayapoorvam, starring Mohanlal in the lead role and directed by Sathyan Anthikad, alleging that it handles the sensitive subject of heart transplantation in a careless and misleading manner.

In a social media post, Dr. Chirakkal wrote, “I watched the film Hridayapoorvam. Most Malayalam films handle such subjects without properly studying or understanding them. The film Joseph had already dealt a severe blow to the concept of brain-death organ donation — showing a person being struck on the head with a hammer and then declared brain-dead. That is an allegation with absolutely no possibility. In Hridayapoorvam, it is disappointing to see such a senior director handling the subject with so much carelessness.”

He further stated that the film does not adequately portray the precautions a transplant recipient must take, and that “everything is made into a joke.”

“Toward the person who donates an organ and their family, there is only one emotion that the recipient, their relatives, and society as a whole should have — respect. RESPECT. When someone suddenly meets with an accident or other cause and goes into the stage of brain death, it is the close relatives who decide to donate the organs, followed by a massive teamwork process. There is no place for comedy here,” he opined.

The doctor also pointed out that organ donation is a deeply sensitive process involving brain death certification, family consent, and a massive team effort — where, he said, “there is no place for comedy.” He noted that recipients face lifelong medical challenges, including constant risk of organ rejection, infections due to reduced immunity, and significant financial burden.

“Now, about the organ recipient — they must follow many restrictions. The body will constantly try to reject the transplanted organ, no matter how much time passes. To suppress this rejection, medicines have to be taken continuously. Since these medicines lower the body’s overall immunity, patients need to be extremely careful. Infections are the main enemy. Various infections can occur, some very serious, which can lead to organ rejection or even death. Once complications arise, the financial burden can also be very high. Patients must wear masks, avoid crowded places, and refrain from close contact with pet animals. From pets, diseases like toxoplasmosis, various fungi, and parasites can spread, which may become fatal. Because of the use of steroids and other medicines, bone strength may also decrease, so accidents and injuries must be avoided as much as possible. There was once a practice that donors and recipients should generally not know each other, in order to prevent future problems. But due to the strong influence of the media, this confidentiality is no longer being maintained,” he added.

On the portrayal of hearts carrying emotions, he stated, “As for the idea that along with the heart, personality, habits, or emotions are also transferred — those are nothing but fairy tales. The heart is just a pump made of muscle and the nerves that control it. No ‘emotions’ are transferred through it. By twisting, breaking, and misrepresenting science in this way, what is lost is the scientific awareness of the public — and the credibility of cinema itself.”

Dr. Chirakkal’s remarks come weeks after he made headlines for flagging equipment shortages at Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital, a disclosure that triggered political controversy in the state.