The India International Centre recently saw two events celebrating innovation and, at the same time, looking back and respecting the past. Dr Virender Singh Sangwan’s biography “Unbound” written by Rajroshan Poojari was unveiled by former MP and celebrated actor, Raj Babbar.  

Published by Penguin Books India, it features a gripping foreword by His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

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“This book is on the life and exemplary service of Dr Virender S. Sangwan in the field of eye care not only in India, but also across the world. It puts the focus on the important role of medical practitioners who make invaluable contributions towards the well-being of living beings. I also commend him for his special commitment to serving the disadvantaged sections of our society.

“This is what I call compassion in action and living a meaningful life. I hope readers will gain inspiration from this book in leading a happy and meaningful life in the service of humankind,” he writes.         

Hailing from a small Indian village, the inspiring story of Sangwan, a pioneer in regenerative medicine and stem cell research, whose work has revolutionized eye care around the world is an essential read. Driven by a relentless passion for accessible healthcare, Dr Sangwan’s groundbreaking innovations—such as the simple limbal epithelial transplantation (SLET) technique—have transformed the lives of millions.

“Unbound” is a powerful narrative of resilience, compassion, and the transformative power of medical innovation. A must-read for anyone passionate about science and social impact, the book offers an insightful and deeply emotional account of a man whose work continues to change the world, one patient at a time.

“When you walk the path of life, you feel the love of your companions. Dr Sahab, I consider myself lucky that Dr Bakshi asked me to relay this story to the public. I don’t consider myself skilled enough, but when encountered with not a person, but a personality, who lives for science and serving others, I had to comply. The title ‘Unbound’ is very apt – never in his life did he do something while thinking “how successful will I be,” but while thinking, “how much can I help my fellow human being,” Raj Babbar said at the event.

On capturing Dr Sangwan’s legacy and writing this book, the author says, “Unbound breaks the code of conventional biographies and manages to transcend the story of its muse, Dr Virender Sangwan – India’s first stem cells applications pioneer and a global trailblazer in corneal repair and regeneration.

“Apart from touching upon the evolution of eye care in India and the gruesome state of blindness here, the plot intersects with the lives and times of several iconic leaders and institutions that have shaped the eye care landscape over the last 4 decades, not just in India, but around the world. Eventually, the story merges with that of India’s most recent biotechnological endeavours and how Dr Sangwan is helping shape that, with cutting edge research, such as 3D printing the human cornea and eliminating the need for eye donations entirely,” he adds.

The second event of the day was a play “Ek Lamhaa Zindagi: A Love Story 1938-1979”, penned by Nadira Zaheer Babbar, Noor Zaheer, and Juhi Babbar Soni, enacted by Juhi Babbar Soni, and directed by Makarand Deshpande and Juhi. This one -woman act play chronicled the lives of Soni’s maternal grandparents – Sajjad Zaheer and Razia Sajjad Zaheer.

The beautiful set designs and the effortless communication and flow of the backstage pieces and recordings that interplayed with the onstage acting added to the deeply emotional and soulful performance by Soni.