For nearly 25 years, Dr Mandeep Garg has been a part of the world of medicine at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh. A radiologist by profession, he has spent most of his adult life immersed in the demanding world of medicine.Now, he is stepping into an entirely different world — the movies.Garg makes his acting debut with the Punjabi film The Last Treatment, a suspense thriller in which he plays a renowned surgeon caught in a moral dilemma. For someone who has spent decades navigating medicine, playing a doctor on screen has been an unexpected yet deeply personal journey.A passion that stayedGarg is originally from Bandi, a small village in Bathinda district. He completed his primary schooling there before moving to Bathinda and eventually Chandigarh. After his MBBS from Government Medical College, Faridkot, he pursued his MD and further training in radiology at PGI, including three years of senior residency, before joining the faculty.But alongside medicine was another side of his personality. During school and college, Garg participated in stage performances and hosted events. He also had a brief stint in modelling. “There was always something burning deep inside me — a flair for acting,” he recalls. Medicine eventually took over, but he never wanted to abandon that creative instinct.From Dubai to a film setHis entry into cinema came by chance. About two years ago, Garg was approached by a Bollywood production team for a music video for a legendary singer. He travelled to Dubai for the shoot, but the song was eventually held up by copyright issues and never released.The experience, however, opened another door. Members of the crew noticed his screen presence and later approached him for a film. “I just grabbed the opportunity.” That opportunity became The Last Treatment.Balancing both worldsTaking on a lead role did not mean stepping away from medicine. Instead, the film had to fit around his professional commitments. A substantial portion was shot during his summer vacation, while the remaining scenes were completed during his winter break. For Garg, medicine and acting represent two very different but equally meaningful parts of his life. He credits medicine with giving him his identity, respect and social recognition, while acting has allowed him to keep alive a passion he has carried since childhood.A doctor caught in a moral dilemmaWhile the film is a crime thriller, Dr Garg says its emotional heart lies in the relationship between a father and daughter. The story follows an ethical doctor who finds himself trapped in circumstances where protecting his family could mean compromising his principles. “How he survives through it — that is what you have to watch in the movie,” Garg says.His medical background naturally gave him familiarity with the professional environment portrayed on screen. But he approached the role as an actor, describing Raman Kataria as a gentle and refined character.When medicine meets cinemaMedical thrillers often portray hospitals, pharmaceutical companies and doctors through stories of corruption and ethical compromises. As someone who actually works in the medical profession, Garg believes such films inevitably draw from real-life situations, even as filmmakers dramatise them for entertainment.“Ultimately, at the end of the day, it is commercial cinema,” he says. For him, cinema borrows from everyday life but adds twists and dramatic elements to make those stories engaging for audiences.Learning from the veteransAs a first-time actor, Garg says working with experienced Punjabi performers was an important part of the journey. “When you work with a big, experienced actors like Hobby Dhaliwal, you get to learn a lot from them,” he says. Their presence, he adds, also motivated him to raise his own performance.Coming home to Punjabi cinemaDr Garg’s family has been central to his new journey. His wife, a dermatologist, has supported him throughout the process, making personal sacrifices along the way.A real doctor, playing a reel one, though one whose ethics are tested in circumstances far removed from his own professional life…The Last Treatment releases on Chaupal on October 3.