Friday, December 11, 2009

From an orphanage in India to Britain's music industry and back to India to help eradicate polio

From BBC News:


Imagine starting life with polio in a Calcutta orphanage but growing up to work amidst the glamour of the British music industry.

It seems unlikely, but Gautam Lewis (pictured) is a man who did just that.

After leaving Calcutta he built a new life and career managing high profile and controversial artists, including Keith Flint from the Prodigy, and the Libertines and Pete Doherty .

However he felt his talents could be put to better use and decided to leave the music industry and return to Calcutta to help in the fight against polio.

As part of India's polio immunisation campaign, he has been using his own experiences to try to change attitudes by visiting parents reluctant to immunise their children.

Now he says his life has come " full circle" - a name he has also given to his new exhibition in Calcutta of photographs of polio sufferers which he hopes will help raise awareness .

Matthew Bannister spoke to Gautam Lewis and asked him to describe his " full circle" journey - from Calcutta to the UK and back again, and learning to fly along the way.