He is a theorist, inclined to look at the big picture, thinking in abstract. She is an experimentalist, a practical person good at organizing events like a Thanksgiving dinner for 70 undergraduates when she’d just landed in the US for her PhD, “without even having a clue what the bird looks like”.
He specializes in theoretical physics and is known for his contributions to string theory; she is a neuroscientist who is credited with discoveries which help understand how the brain develops and how its blueprint might have evolved from something simpler.
A shared passion for science and Indian music brought them together, although they work on two ends of the scientific spectrum, so to speak.
In Sandip’s words, “What I do is to think about why the universe is the way it is, she thinks about why it is that we can think about the universe.”
Sandip and Shubha met at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), Pasadena, US, when they were both pursuing PhDs in the late 1980s. “We probably met during the Diwali function of the Indian students’ organization of Caltech,” says Shubha.
“Sandip faked an interest in ballroom dancing to date me,” she adds. She still studies Kathak, while Sandip plays the tabla.
Even then, both were sure they wanted to come back to India and contribute to Indian science. Shubha looks back at the decision with satisfaction, even if she had to face the typical difficulties of an experimental scientist in India—delayed shipments of chemicals, power problems, inadequate equipment, and so on. “I don’t know if I could have made the same discoveries in the US. Here, I did something I wouldn’t dare start in the US. We delayed starting a family for three years when I had to set up my lab, until we were 35 and 38,” adds Shubha. They have two children, aged 10 and 7.
"A DEMOCRACY OF TWO: They talk about all the big things. The little things, they let the more invested partner decide."
They got married in 1989, a year after they met, while still students. Science is a hard master (or mistress) and there were some choices and sacrifices both had to make in the initial years. For example, when Sandip had to apply for a faculty position at a time when Shubha was looking for a post-doctoral position. “He refused all jobs (in the cities) where I had lovely offers for a post-doc.”
"WIDE ANGLE, SHARP FOCUS: Sandip handles the children’s homework. Shubha: He’s good at getting them to understand and stimulating their interest in a wide range of subjects. We are too busy managing our own territories of work and the children to have the energy to get into the other’s territory. If one of us is doing something, the other is usually relieved or grateful."
“That’s why it helps to be married to someone successful, because anywhere I go, she managed to get a job,” interjects Sandip. “She always had a can-do attitude, which helped.”
"CROSS-CURRENTS: Shubha: We are almost completely opposite in our personalities, what we read, how we would like to spend a free afternoon...but we share the fact that we love to read, that we enjoy each other’s company, even though we may be doing different things in the same room. We also share the big things—a love of nature; both of us would rather spend a vacation in a national park than a glitzy city; a love of the arts—music and dance."
"DO NOT OPEN: Shubha: Don’t know...can’t think of any."
What keeps them motivated is their love for science. Both feel the need to spread scientific awareness and participate in outreach programmes.
“In science, you don’t come up with a great idea every day. When you love doing the small calculations and experiments, you should love it… if a big result comes, it comes, but otherwise you are at least enjoying what you are doing,” says Sandip.
