An author, award-winning actor, RJ Sayomdeb Mukherjee ‘Den’ proves all his disabilities into abilities

 

-Sayomdeb Mukherjee a.k.a Den was born with a rare genetic disorder, Dopamine-Responsive Dystonia

-Den hosted a radio show ‘Haal Chhero Nah Bondhu’ for 5 years

-Den was awarded the ‘Best Actor Award’ at Cincinnati Film Festival

- Den wrote ‘Memoirs of time’ that was internationally released in over 50 countries.

An author and an award-winning actor Sayomdeb Mukherjee popularly known as RJ Den is continuously proving his physical disability into ability through his extreme hard work  and didn't let his disability come in the way of his achievements.

Den was born into a joint family in Kolkata in November 1980, with a rare genetic disorder 'Dopamine-Responsive Dystonia' because of which his muscles started to contract and by the age of five, his speech got affected as well. As a result  he was non-verbal till the age of 25. The disorder itself was first discovered in 1995 by Dr Segawa from Japan and was also known as Segawa.

Talking to the Banega Swasth India (Dettol campaign) team about the disorder and its diagnosis, Den said,"Dopamine is an enzyme used by the nervous system to transmit messages between nerve cells. My body doesn’t produce enough dopamine and whatever is there is secreted by the intelligence centre as a result, my motor function was affected tremendously. After 15 years of my birth, the disorder was first discovered to mankind which was followed by medical trials. I remember, back then, doctors used to refer to foreign medical journals for the latest information. My father’s friend, a pediatrician, got one such journal that had only a paragraph on Segawa syndrome. In the West, people didn’t know much about the disease but still, I feel lucky to get medicines by the time I turned 25."

Den at his book launch in Kolkata

Den’s  book ‘Memoirs of Time’ got an international recognition,

Den’s  physical disability never stops him from learning and gaining knowledge in all spheres of life. With the help of Rakshak Foundation, Den had also launched his book ‘Memoirs of Time’ on April 5, 2016 at the Oxford Bookstore, Kolkata. The book is a fictionalized biography of the exemplary life of a doctor, the father of RJ Den, Dr. Pabitra Deb Mukherjee.

The book was internationally released on Apple i-Tune in over 50 countries as part of OLF (One Little Finger Foundation), which is a platform that promotes artistic and entrepreneurial ideas for the people with disabilities.

Den used to learn biology, physics, physiology and anatomy from his father who was a doctor by profession, while his uncle used to educate him about Greek mythology.

At the book launch event, he said: “My father, a doctor in West Bengal Government Service, had some outstanding experiences in his life. Every story of this book has certain elements of his experience but this is not a biography. Thus, I dedicate this book to that doctor, who never thought lack of infrastructure could stop him from working, who believed in innovation, whose life was filled with adventurism. As a doctor, he never believed that money is the ultimate thing to achieve.”

Through his father’s life, Den also traces his own struggle against immense physical challenges and how he emerged victorious. This is a book that defies the harshness of fate and exemplifies the magnificence of the indomitable.

"My uncle, who passed away in September, last year, played the role of Chanakya in my life. I learned about various kinds of scriptures and even learned from watching and listening to people discuss cinema. My family would shoot arrows, in the form of knowledge, from all sides, at me. I had good comprehension power. My parents always ensured I travel because they believed that without travelling, I won’t get the ethos of my country."- Den said.

“Decision of writing this book was not taken from my mind, it was from my heart. Being a student of literature, I have read many biographies, out of which very few of them appealed to me,” said Den.

41-year-old Den’s physical disabilities extend to quadra plegia – paralysis of four limbs, deformities all over the body, bent spinal cord and dyslexia. His disabilities are deteriorating in nature which means the symptoms can return if Den stops the medication.

Despite that, he does not alleviate his efforts. Today he is an author, an award-winning actor and a radio jockey too. Now he is helping other people with disabilities overcome their challenges and lead fulfilling lives.

Den earned Radio Excellence Award through his radio show ‘Haal Chhero Nah Bondhu’,

Den went on to host a radio show named ‘Haal Chhero Nah Bondhu’ which translates to ‘Never give up, friend’ for five years and did 822 episodes. He was felicitated by the Radio Excellence Award and Best Bengali Radio Jockey in 2014. Immortalizing his radio journey, Den wrote a book ‘52 Steps’ which was released on February 9, 2019.

         A still from One Little Finger: In frame, Sayomdeb Mukherjee, popularly known as Den

Sayomdeb won best actor award for his film, ‘One Little Finger – Ability In Disability’,

Den also worked in a film ‘One Little Finger – Ability In Disability’ which was released in the US in 2019 and worldwide on November 16, 2020. Written and directed by Rupam Sarmah, the film cast includes over 80 children and adults with disabilities.

Den played the lead role of an RJ in the film and was awarded the ‘Best Actor Award’ at Cincinnati Film Festival on September 5, 2019.

Sayomdeb narrated his experience during the film shoot. He was grateful to his director and the other members of the cast for having faith in him. He was more than eager to let all know about this story of compassion. “Roping in renowned artists to portray these characters was possible. But it’s nice that persons with disabilities and those who want to act have been given a chance to tell their own story. We shot for long hours too. The film unit didn’t have to compromise on any part of filmmaking because of us,” said Sayomdeb.

"I am a person with a learning disability. I have dyslexia. People have read out to me and I have learned from listening. Now, the biggest friend that I have is audiobooks. While working in the movie, I had to listen to the dialogues, remember, recall and deliver. Getting an award was horrific because I wasn’t expecting and I was scared of losing it. I know no producer would trust me with another movie even though I am passionate about acting."

“I played the lead in the film and also looked after other aspects in the film since Rupam lives in the US and it was difficult for him to always travel. I’ve been a radio jockey for three and a half years. During my stint, I’ve noticed how persons with disabilities are perceived in mainstream society.”