Riteish Deshmukh recently played Dr. Prakash in the latest web series Pill. Streaming on JioCinema, the series pokes fun at the corruption in the pharmaceutical sector that leads to the deaths of millions of innocent people.
While a giant in the Indian pharmaceutical market continues to produce drugs despite failed clinical trials, an honest Medical Authority of India officer plots a plan to expose them. He receives help from his honest subordinates, a journalist, and an honest pharmaceutical company employee.
Much like Pill, several movies and web series have been released in the past few years that showcase the medical sector of India. From Human to The Vaccine War, the list is below:
Human
Shefali Shah and Kirti Kulhari’s impeccable performances in their 2022 web series Human won viewers’ hearts. The series focuses on corruption in a pharmaceutical company that tries to fast-track the development of a new drug. In addition to the two actresses, the web series also stars Vishal Jethwa, Sushil Pandey, Aasif Khan, and more.
Its official synopsis reads, “A pharma giant is using India’s lax clinical trial rules to fast track the development of a new drug, despite lethal side effects. Meanwhile, 35-year-old Dr Saira Sabharwal lands a dream job in Bhopal’s premier hospital under the mentorship of the iconic 45-year-old Dr Gauri Nath. Saira grows under Gauri’s tutelage and as the two women start to form a deep bond over their commitment to the medical cause. However, a shocking discovery throws their life into chaos as their story becomes intertwined with that of a young migrant worker, Mangu, who is all set to wreak havoc on the medical system.”
Breathe
The 2018 web series Breathe illuminates the lack of donors in India. A young boy suffers from an ailing disease, and his father goes on a killing spree to cure him. Much like Pill, the web series showcases what the Indian medical sector has been missing. It stars R Madhavan, Amit Sadh, Sapna Pabbi, Neena Kulkarni, and more.
The Vaccine War
Following the success of The Kashmir Files, filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri made The Vaccine War. The movie follows the story of developing an Indian COVID-19 vaccine amid the pandemic. The movie is streaming on Disney+ Hotstar and its synopsis reads, “As the COVID-19 pandemic looms over India, the medical community races to find a cure and control rumors which get more contagious than the virus.”
Gabbar Is Back
Akshay Kumar-led Gabbar Is Back also focused on the corruption in the medical sector. It gave a gist of the wrongdoings of several hospitals and what they do to get more money out of patients’ pockets. They go as far as possible and even treat a dead man. Besides Kumar, the movie also stars Shruti Haasan, Suman, and Jaideep Ahlawat and a special appearance by Kareena Kapoor Khan.
Yashoda
Samantha Ruth Prabhu starred in the 2023 movie Yashoda which showcased a unique story about a surrogacy scandal. The movie follows the story of a fake surrogacy firm that uses an infant to make a facial serum to cure aging. However, Yashoda fights the owners of the firm and rescues all the women in it.
LSD – Love Scandal & Doctors
The ZEE5 web series LSD – Love Scandal & Doctors is a thriller. It follows the story of five medical interns who become embroiled in a scandal.
In conclusion, several web series and movies have exposed the corruption in the pharmaceutical and medical sectors. However, these web series and movies have unique stories. Much like Pill, the above list has several content-driven shows and movies that introduce the viewers to the dark side of these sectors.