Gurudutt Shastri
Gurudutt Shastri is a young energetic guy. When I first met him in 2015, I was surprised to see a guy who left his job in Dubai ( He is an MBA from a premier institute) and came to Kolkata to learn Indian classical singing. He has been referred to me by legendary figure Padmabhusan Maha Guru Pandit Ajay Chakraborty. When I listened to his voice I understood something wrong has happened and its a serious case. We did a Stroboscopy test along with objective voice assessment which showed a large bilateral vocal nodule, I told him actually it is a surgical case but as his profession is singing so it is always advisable not to go for surgery. As every vocal surgery has 5% risk of vocal trauma so I discussed the case with him and Guru Ji also. We started the voice therapy program, after 4 sessions the nodule started to become smaller in size & after 8 sessions it was almost invisible but it was still there. Gurudutt was repeatedly asking my permission for singing and I was adamant that he should not sing for the next 6 weeks. One day he almost started crying, as he left his home for the last 2 years to become a singer, his only friend is classical music, he was very much depressed.
I told him to sing at the lower pitch but that was a blunder, in next stroboscopy, we saw that the nodule has again started to become larger, that was the time when I became completely frustrated. Henceforth, I and Gurudutt start to work on strict regime and this time he became more serious, he even stopped talking. After 4 sessions we saw there was a much smaller nodule which has then started to reduce again. After another 4 sessions it vanished then we started to work on vocal strengthening exercises and vocal relaxation exercises. He became normal after a continuous treatment of one year. Now he is completely ok and he is still learning Indian classical singing under Pandit Ajay Chakraborty. Nowadays he is doing a lot of stage programs and shows. After 2016 he never suffered from hoarse voice again. It was a lifetime case of mine.
Nowadays Gurudutt sends me many Youtube links to his songs. Whenever I listen to his beautiful voice, it gives me inner peace and it motivates me to work hard with my patients.
- size of the nodule was quite large
- The nodule becomes hard
- we are under time pressure because he stays in Calcutta to learn Indian classical singing only
- The re-occurrence of nodule was there.
- After recovery from nodule strengthening exercise is must for singers but in this case chances of re occurrence was high.
- Through the case was tough but client expectation was high.
- I respect Pandit Ajay Chakraborty like my parents so it was a matter of his prestige as Gurudutt came to me because of his referral only so I was very serious about the case .I usually chat with him mostly on regular basis during treatment days.
- In these sorts of cases after re-occurrence patients become more restless.
- As he is from south India so due to a mismatch of food habits he develops hyperactivity which lead to dry mouth and throat, where, in this condition, it is tough to practice voice therapy exercises regularly.
Whatever the challenges were, but the day I solved the case it was like a big celebration day for me. Still today I enjoy talking to him and I really don’t know from when and how Gurudutt Shastri became my friend from my patient.