From hating Chemistry to becoming a medicinal chemist: Dr. Ashutosh Banerjee shares his success story in an exclusive interview with Smita Chanda Roy

Dr. Ashutosh Banerjee, an ex-IITian talks candidly about his journey of becoming a scientist. An ex-student of Vivekananda Mission School, Dr. Banerjee discusses a wide range of topics from the craze surrounding IITs, to the ways in which we can love what we do. In this interview, he gives advice to students on their careers and shares ways in which they can find their calling in life.

1) Hello Dr. Banerjee. It is indeed a pleasure to be able to take this interview. Thank you for finding time in your busy schedule and giving us this interview.
A: - Thank you for interviewing me and for giving me an opportunity to reach your readers.

2) Tell us a little about your work.
A: I am, by training, a synthetic organic chemist and a medicinal chemist. I know it sounds a bit complicated. To put it in a simple way, I synthesize the organic compounds which are used to make the medicines you take when you are sick.
Since I am a medicinal chemist as well, I develop molecules which are then tested on biological systems to see whether they are effective on a particular disease. Those molecules are what we call drugs or medicines. Of course, it is not easy to design a drug. I have not designed a drug in my PhD or in my post doctorate, but I used to design different types of organic molecules whose interaction with biological systems were studied to figure out what the basic fundamental properties of a receptor or a biological target are. This knowledge will help us someday to find a cure for a particular disease. This is what I have done in my PhD and post doctorate.
Now I am working in a company here in Germany. We are working on radiation therapy. Radiation therapy also has organic chemistry in it. The only difference is that, in radiation therapy, the molecule has a radioactive element. People, who want to synthesize radioactive molecules on a big scale for the treatment of diseases like Cancer, should not be exposed to high amounts of radiation. So currently we are developing remote controlled machines where you can synthesize the molecules behind a protected lead shield so that the radiation does not get out. My job in research and development is to program the system in such a way that it does the synthesis of the molecule for radio labelling.

3) Did you always want to become a scientist? Was Chemistry always your area of interest?
A:-Actually, I did not want to become a scientist at all. When I was growing up, in the nineties, there was no internet. I used to associate the term ‘scientist’ with what was shown in the movies. Scientists, in movies, usually had crazy hair and dirty lab coats. Seeing that, I was not so motivated to become a scientist. I never saw myself in that position. But eventually, when I was exposed to the wide scope of chemistry in higher classes, I started having a more balanced approach to science. That was when Chemistry started to become my area of interest.
I think, all of us are scientists in some way or the other. When you become intuitive and question something, trying to figure out its answer, you are naturally a scientist. When I was studying my bachelor’s degree, I did not have a clue that I will become a scientist. I knew I will study masters and in future I wanted to go into medicinal chemistry. I followed the normal course of academics and eventually became a man of science. Becoming a scientist was more of an unconscious decision than a conscious choice.

4) How did your love story with Chemistry begin? Did you always love the subject?
A: - To be honest, I really hated Chemistry in standard 7, 8, 9 and 10. In standard 10, I think it was a little better because you have some interesting parts. But till class 9, I hated Chemistry. It was more like memorizing big formulas and learning to balance equations. Learning the chemical properties of some compounds did interest me but for the most part, I did not like it. I began to develop an interest in Science and Chemistry in my ISC phase when the Chemistry started getting more interesting and I got exposed to different branches of it like organic, Inorganic and physical. My interest in Chemistry also developed due to my teachers in school. I was lucky to come across some gifted teachers. Later, in 11^th and 12^th grade, I used to take private tuitions from a teacher who was also our teacher in VMS. Her name is Sutapa sister. The old VMSians will know her. She was a teacher in VMS till 1999. She used to teach Chemistry in a fun way. The Chemistry experiments which were taught to us as a part of the ISC curriculum were so fun, colourful and logical that I really wanted to pursue chemistry after that.

5) Take us back to your childhood. Were you shy? Were you ever bullied in school?
A: - Childhood was nice. The nineties were a time of change. So in the early nineties life was very different than at the end of nineties when I was a teenager. As a child I liked my growing up years. I had a very loving family, lots of friends in the neighbourhood and in school. I was not really shy in that sense of the word but of course when you do not know how things are going to turn out, you are naturally a little under-confident. The nature of Indian society is such that parents do not feel the need to appreciate a child when he does something good; at least that was how society was when I was growing up. So, I was not shy but I was not super confident either. But I kept doing my thing.
At school, I had a lot of friends. Thank God, I was not bullied. I was not a bully either. I was a decent kid. Overall, it was a nice childhood even without Internet. I do not mean to say that Internet is bad but we used to play outside and chat with friends face to face back then.

6) Growing up, who was your idol? Who did you look up to?
A: - Consciously speaking, I did not have any idol. I did not feel like I have to become a famous person or become very successful financially. So, for me it was natural to grow up, finish my studies and to move on to the next phase.
From time to time I looked up to different people. When I was studying at school, I used to look up to my seniors who took admission in good colleges and were doing well there. At college I was looking up to my seniors who made it to masters in IITs. When I was doing my masters, I was looking up to seniors who were doing their PhD in prestigious institutions in India or abroad. So, I did not have any one person that I looked up to. I always looked up to the successful people in my field of study.

7) How were your ICSE and ISC results? Were your parents happy with them? Do you think these results are solely responsible for determining one’s future?
A: - My ICSE and ISC results were fine. But compared to the kind of results you guys have now, my results were not that good. I mean, you would have been disappointed had you scored now what I did back then. I scored 85% in my ICSE and 90% in my ISC. I was really happy with it and never complained or sulked about it. I was particularly happy with my ISC result because I had not scored above 90% in any subject in school.
My mother passed away when I was a little kid. My father never pressurized me into anything in life. I was really lucky that way. He was really happy with all my results. For him, exams and results were just a way of moving on to the next step.
No, I genuinely do not think that ICSE and ISC results are solely responsible for anything. They are just a way of moving on to the next phase. But keeping in mind the kind of competition kids of this generation face, I think they can be important in choosing your line of study. There is a craze in India to study science. I don’t know why. So good marks in ICSE will help you to choose the science stream. Similarly, good marks in ISC will help you get admission in a nice college. But I believe that you can improve in any and every stage of life. After a while, grades do not matter. What matters is how passionate you are, how innovative you are. So, if your ICSE and ISC grades are not up to the mark, don’t think that your life is ruined. You can always change your line of study and discover much more interesting things than the ones you always wanted to pursue.

8) How was college life? Was there any professor in particular who motivated you tremendously? Can the glamour or name of a college play a role in shaping our future?
A:-College life was good. I studied my bachelor’s in New Alipore College. I was very lucky to have an excellent group of professors. They really motivated me to learn the subject.
I do not think that the glamour or name of a college has any role in shaping our future. I got admission in St. Xavier’s college too. I did classes there for a week. I did not like it. So, I moved back to New Alipore College. As you know New Alipore College is not glamorous as St. Xavier’s is but later, I realized that it was the right choice as the Chemistry department here had a personal touch. What you should really look for is not how glamorous a particular college is but how good the individual departments are. In order to do that, I suggest that you interact more with the students of the college in which you want to study.

9) You did your masters from IIT Kharagpur, right? What preparations did you take to get into IIT?
A: - Yes. I did my masters from Kharagpur IIT. I did not sit for IIT-JEE examinations after completing school because that exam was a nightmare for me. I was not interested as well. Plus, I was lazy. The entrance exam which I took to get into IIT was known was the Joint Admission Test. It was very different from IIT-JEE. It was only for Chemistry and since I had studied Chemistry very well in my bachelor’s degree, it was quite easy for me to get through and I did not need any extra preparation for it.

10) IITs are looked upon as the epitome of excellence in India. There is a lot of craze surrounding the IITs. Walk us through your academic and hostel life in IIT Kharagpur.
A:-Yes IITs tend to have an image like that. But I would like to say that it is overhyped. IITs are not bad but they are not something to be crazy about either. No matter how intelligent you are, when at seventeen or eighteen you get into an IIT, you are just like any other teenager outside IIT.
Life in IIT was nothing different from life in other residential academic institutions. I was personally not used to the semester system and had difficulty in coping with the exam system there. Exams were held every one and a half month. So, you had to be up-to-date with your studies. You did not get a month long break before your exams. Initially, that was like a nightmare to me but eventually I caught on.
Hostel life taught me how to be responsible, independent and self-sufficient. I learned to wash my own clothes and to manage my pocket money. I had a scholarship as well. So, that helped me too.
I had a lot of fun with my friends in IIT. We could hang out for as long as we wanted to. There was no one to stop us from having all the fun. So, hostel life was really good.

11) How difficult is it for a student of average merit and middle class background to make it to IIT? Is expensive coaching necessary to get into IIT?
A: - I do not agree with the term ‘average merit’. Some students are gifted in the arts while some are really good in science. That is something you need to figure out yourself. Do not succumb to parental pressure or peer pressure. After standard seven or eight try figuring out your area of interest. If you do not like to study science, don’t go for it. Study something else.
IIT-JEE is one of the toughest exams in the world. So, of course, it will be difficult to crack it. You need a lot of planning and preparation. You need a good coach to be able to crack it. It can be expensive financially and in terms of time as well. You have to start as early as standard nine if it is your aim to get into IIT. But keep in mind, IIT is not the only thing in life. If you don’t get it, don’t be disheartened. May be you are meant to do something else.
Financially speaking, IITs are not cheap. But there are education loans available to help you bear the cost.

12) What will be your message to those parents who desperately want their children to get into IIT?

A: - I do not blame the parents for wanting to send their children to IIT. But, in my opinion, after the kid turns thirteen or fourteen, the parents must talk to them frankly and ask them what they want to do in life and respect their decision. They should not force their ideas on them. Some children are intelligent enough to find out what they want to do even at that age when others might be confused. It is okay to be confused. Most children are. But in due course of time, the children will figure out. Parents have to keep in mind that if their children do not get into IITs, the world will not end. With the advent of Internet, their opportunities are endless.

13) What do you want to say to those students who are feeling the pressure to get into IIT and are thinking of giving up on their dreams and on their lives?
A: - First of all, you need to find out why you are feeling the pressure. It could be either of two things- maybe you do not quite understand the subject and hence you are scared of it or you are scared of the consequences that will follow if you are not selected into an IIT. If you do not understand the subject and want to pursue a different career altogether, by all means go ahead and change your line of study. If you are scared of what your parents will say, talk to them and make them understand. Otherwise, it will be a waste of time and money.
Please do not give up on your lives. Ending your life is the stupidest thing you can do to yourself and your family. It’s like jumping off a cliff just because you did not get your favourite toy. It’s that stupid. I repeat, never ever think of ending your life. Talk to your teachers and parents voicing your problems and seek help from them.

14) Do you believe in luck or hard work?
A:-I feel like you need both hard work and luck. But if I have to put it in one word, I would say, it is all about timing and how it works in your life. Timing is all about having intuitions-intuitions about what is right at that moment. There is no recipe for developing intuition. You just have to be conscious within yourself to figure out what you are doing and whether it is right for that moment. Based on this introspection, you have to choose your next step.

15) Do what you love or love what you do?
A: - ‘Do what you love’ is true to a certain extent. Till your master’s degree, you can study what you love. But after that when you start doing research or go for a job, you will not always be so lucky to choose and do only those things which you love. That is when ‘love what you do’ becomes important. At first, you might not feel like doing it. But once you give time to the problem and figure out a way to solve it, then it becomes a game and you start loving it. When you continue to do it, you do what you love. The most important thing in life is to be open to ideas, to be flexible, to give something a try and if, after sometime, you see you do not like it, you can start doing something new.

16) What will be your message for our readers?
A: - I want to say that in today’s day and age, information is very easily available. It’s right in your palms. Please use this information for your well-being.
Never give up. If you are scared, seek help. Talk to your parents and teachers. It’s human nature to feel scared when we start something new because it is unknown to us. We feel like we will not be able to do it. But that’s not true. We have to face it by going through it. In that way, gradually we will build up confidence. Yes, it will take time. But at the end of the day, if you are motivated and determined to be successful, there is no stopping you.

Thank you so much once again, Dr. Banerjee. It was indeed a pleasure talking to you!
A: - Thank you so much.

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