J S Bhogal

Dr. J. S. Bhogal

It is often said, “Our talents are the gift that God gives to us... What we make of our talents is our gift back to God”. And when that talent is in the form of pure, unadulterated artistic expression, everything the artist does is nothing but his offering to the Gods!

Such has been the journey through life for Dr. J. S. Bhogal! With no formal training in any art form but sure of the fact that he had something special… a gift… he has worked hard to use every bit of the creativity he has been gifted with. Inspired by his mother who encouraged his artistic nature, he learnt to balance the demands of the competitive urban life with his love for music and colours from an early age. Dr. Bhogal picked up the brush of his own volition and started out by trying to copy the works of the great Masters. Learning their brush-work was the stepping stone in developing his own unique style and the next step was to bring to life his own dreams on canvas. Stemming from his deep rooted belief in the ‘One God’, Dr. J. S. Bhogal’s paintings often reflect his interpretation of the text and folklore from all religions.

And yet, painting is not what gives him the ultimate release. It is in words that he actually finds his sanctuary. The pictures he paints through his words are the true mirror into this artist’s soul. Navigating his way through the gravitas of Urdu ‘shayari’ with the same consummate ease with which he dances through the exuberance of Hindi poetry, his words lead the reader through a range of emotions. And yet, his lack of formal training in Urdu does not restrain him – rather, it gives his work a free flowing style where a poignant Urdu expression may weave itself sinuously around a classical Sanskrit or Hindi phrase. Or the other way around! Add to this mix the fact that the poet has been blessed with a mellifluous voice and you have the perfect recipe for a soulful experience. Dr. Bhogal has the ability to lead his audience through the deepest, darkest winter of grief into the bright summer sunshine of carefree abandon by merely changing the mood in his voice!

Keeping up with artistic passions like painting or writing and pursuing a demanding profession like medicine, is in itself no mean feat but Dr. Bhogal achieves it with a simple yet profound logic… art for him is a release, almost like praying!!! It has been hard work, though. For no achievement comes without dedication and perseverance. Truly, it is said, “The artist is nothing without the gift, but the gift is nothing without work.”

A man of varied talents, Dr. Bhogal is Senior Consultant in Gastroenterology at Fortis Hospital, Noida.

Authors A-Z