BENGALURU: While the busy wards of hospitals echo with the rhythmic beeps of heart monitors, the mechanical buzz of medical equipment, and muffled conversations of anxious caregivers, imagine finding a moment to just be silly — to laugh, play, and forget the illness that defines your days.
Doctor Parrots, a Bengaluru-based healthcare clowning trust, is doing exactly this. They help patients rediscover joy and comfort amid treatment by creating a space where they can be themselves — beyond their pain, diagnosis and fear.
Dressed in bright costumes, sporting red bulbous noses, full of mischief and in high spirits, these ‘clown doctors’ visit hospital wards, spreading laughter, warmth and healing. Taking patients beyond their illness and letting them know it’s okay to be just silly, even amid suffering and disease.
“We don’t prescribe pills, we prescribe giggles, lightness, and connection. All over the world, hospitals have discovered that a clown’s red nose can work wonders for patients, caregivers, and even doctors themselves,” the trust members said.
The idea behind healthcare clowning is simple yet powerful. “Kids, especially those with cancer, often become withdrawn and scared in hospitals. When we act silly — sing, dance, or just speak gibberish — they begin to open up. That’s when the healing starts,” says Rajesh Pandathil, one of the performers. The impact goes beyond the children.
Parents, caregivers and hospital staff also find relief in the playful antics. Sometimes, parents even record the performances to show their children later, keeping the laughter alive long after discharge,” he adds. Healthcare clowning has no script, spotlight or curtains. The hospital ward becomes the stage for every impromptu interaction. For the clowns themselves, the work is equally transformative.
“A clown is like a child -- free, curious, and without judgment. When people laugh at our foolishness, we feel, ‘Oh, I’m not so bad after all’, whereas the patient feels more relaxed,” explains Rajesh. The iconic red nose, he adds, is more than a prop: “If I walked down the street cross-dressed like this, people won’t take it in the right spirit. But the red nose gives me permission to be free. I am insulated.”
Despite the growing demand for their work in hospitals like the Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health, funding and staffing remain challenges. “Every hospital wants us, but most cannot pay, and we don’t want the cost to fall on patients. That’s why we do this out of passion,” says Rajesh. He said Doctor Parrots will conduct a month-long weekend-only training starting October 25, aimed at recruiting more clowns and expanding the reach of this therapeutic humour.
Anyone interested in exploring empathy, emotional connection, and the art of clowning — actors, teachers, psychologists and healthcare professionals -- can join this initiative. “There’s a growing demand, but too few of us. We need more clowns and more visibility, so people know this work matters, and maybe, we’ll find funders who believe in it too,” says Rajesh.
Through this unique blend of performance and compassion, Doctor Parrots is not just spreading laughter, but redefining healing, and the way a patient is being perceived and treated. For participation, interested individuals can contact 99005 89230.