Digital and Relationship Toxicity is the new poison Padmashri Dr. Mukesh Batra at the Launch of his book ‘TOXIC’ in Kolkata

 

Reporter INDRAJIT AICH 

The launch of Dr Batra’s book TOXIC co-authored with Swami Shailendra Saraswati, Osho’s younger brother, brought together a house full of Kolkata’s creative and literary community.  It marked one of the city's most talked-about literary evenings this season.  The launch was attended by actors Debolina Dutta – chief guest, Falaque Rashid Roy - moderator and Anuja Roy – guest of honour among others.   

In conversation with the panel, Padmashri Dr. Mukesh Batra addressing the audience mentioned two invisible toxins – Digital addiction and Toxic Relationships - “Toxicity today isn't just what enters our bloodstream, but what enters our bandwidth. India's Economic Survey 2025-26, has flagged digital addiction as a public health threat.  Digital toxicity is the compulsive, unrelenting relationship people now have with their screens, with an average 5 hours of screen time every day. The other toxicity is a toxic relationship that destroys you completely.  The book helps you to deal with these and many other forms of toxicity in today’s world.”

Speaking on the occasion Debolina Dutta said, “As actors and as audiences, we are constantly participating in a culture that shapes how we see ourselves, our relationships and the world around us. We need to ask what we are consuming emotionally and mentally, not just physically. TOXIC opens up that conversation in a very accessible way.”

The evening closed with a book signing session, where Dr. Batra interacted with readers and well-wishers. 

About the Book

TOXIC draws on Dr. Batra's fifty years of clinical practice to examine how digital overload, lifestyle stress and toxic habits are reshaping mental and physical health — and what readers can do to reclaim balance. The book is now available at, Amazon and other ecommerce platforms and Oxford and other leading bookstores.

About Dr. Mukesh Batra

Padma Shri Dr. Mukesh Batra is the founder of Dr. Batra's® Healthcare, the world's largest homeopathy clinic chain with over 225 clinics across more than 10 countries. Beyond medicine, his life is built around three passions— singing, photography and writing — with proceeds from each directed entirely to charitable causes, under his personal motto: “One man. Three passions. Zero kept for himself.”