Kiss the doctor

The ET Awards 2014 lifetime awardee and Cipla chairman Dr Yusuf Hamied was the hero of the night, but a pretty irreverent one.

On stage, his speech resonated with his deep commitment to healthcare, yet offstage, the good doctor was full of humorous anecdotes.

Yuko Hamied told us about the time actor Sir Ian McKellen (Magneto in X-Men for those not in the know) doffed his hat to the Cipla boss for his incredible work in pushing generic drugs towards the AIDS cause.

Dr Hamied (who was accompanied by his wife Farida) and McKellen were both honoured with honorary degrees at Cambridge University this June.

McKellen, who has always been a high-profile campaigner for gay rights and is open about his sexuality, gave Dr Hamied a kiss on the cheek in tribute for his work. How did the doctor feel? “I didn’t feel anything,” Dr Hamied replied, with a cheeky smile.