Alcor Member Profile: Kumar Krishnamsetty

Alcor Member Profile
From Cryonics 4th Quarter 2008

By Chana Phaedra

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Kumar Krishnamsetty


Some cryonicists cannot pinpoint any particular reason they became interested in the subject because cryonics is just a natural extension of a desire they’ve always had. Such is the case for Ayodhya Kumar Krishnamsetty, who explains “I have always wanted to live forever, for as long as I can remember.”

“There is so much beauty in this world that I cannot stop embracing it at seventy or eighty,” he goes on. And that’s exactly the reason Kumar opted for cryonics. In fact, he hopes cryonics will enable him to reach a future where medicine will enable humankind to repair and reverse the diseases and debilitation that go hand-in-hand with aging to enable him to live as long as possible. Kumar frequently reiterates that his personal desire is to live forever. “I am not the type of person who only wants to live 1000, or even 5000, years,” he says. “I love life so much that I cannot imagine stopping it at any point.”

Beauregards
Kumar enjoys life in front of the Taj Majal.

Kumar has good reason to enjoy life so much, as his has been an idyllic one. As a boy living in the beautiful Indian coastal city of Visakhapatnam, Kumar learned the important lessons of life from his parents and enjoyed a peaceful, happy childhood playing cricket with his brother and friends. “Mom was a housewife but taught disciplines of life,” he remembers. “Dad taught math and English in school, ethics and morals at home. I don’t believe in the existence of supernatural powers. For me, good is god [and] so are good people.”

Kumar went on to study many different subjects in college, including literature, psychology, philosophy, music, and film, ultimately focusing on biology and chemistry for graduation and marine sciences in his master’s program. After obtaining his master’s degree Kumar entered the software industry, which brought him to the United States in 1999. As a software engineer, he worked for many major companies like Fujitsu, Rapidigm, Kaiser Permanente, Anderson Merchandisers, WebMD, Providence Healthcare, ADP, and Vulcan. Ultimately, he worked almost nine years in the software industry. But, like his desire to live forever, Kumar had another lifelong burning desire — to be a film director.

“I have been telling myself and my family that I would become a film director,” he says. “While working in the software industry I have been going to film schools since 2002.” And as soon as he learned enough to do so, Kumar immediately started working towards becoming the film-maker, and making the films, of his dreams.

“My dad used to say that I am a utopian. He is right, I do dream a lot. And I try to give them [my dreams] a life. I have been writing, directing, photographing, and editing my short films and documentaries for four years. And I have been dreaming about my films since I was fourteen. Images on screen are haunting, that’s why I make films. It is the best way to reach anyone, including myself.”

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Kumar speaking at the Delhi film festival.

One of the first documentaries that Kumar produced was a short film about his desire to live forever and his decision to sign up for cryonics called Kumar, Forever (2006), which was screened at the 2006 Alcor conference. This was quickly followed by a sequel in 2007 called My Dad, Forever. In it, Kumar vividly portrays his love for his father and his father’s wise and considerate nature, which Kumar feels should not be allowed to perish. When his father dies, Kumar vigorously attempts to persuade his family to have his father’s body shipped to Alcor for cryopreservation. In the end, we watch, stricken, as Kumar helps carry his father’s body toward an enormous funeral pyre and, in accordance with his family’s wishes, commits his father to the flames.

Despite this setback, Kumar has not been deterred from vocally promoting cryonics, and Alcor in particular. In fact, every film he has produced so far includes an Alcor advertisement. He explains, “I joined Alcor in 2004. Before joining Alcor, I did a lot of research about cryonics on [the] Internet. Alcor’s technology and funds topped all other cryonics organizations, and that motivated me to join Alcor.” As an active and enthusiastic Alcor member, Kumar attended the 2006 Alcor conference in Scottsdale, Arizona, and also participates in the Cryonics Oregon meetup group organized by Chana Phaedra.

Kumar’s 2008 documentary film, I Am Not a Chair, is the story of a relatively high functioning quadreplegic. It was an official selection in the Ahmedabad International Film Festival.

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Kumar and other participants in the 3rd National Short & Documentary Film Festival (Indian Roller Awards), where his film, I Am Not a Chair, was screened.

Kumar loves life and enjoys living a full and varied existence. While some members continue to live a similar lifestyle after joining Alcor as they did before, Kumar points out that his membership has changed his lifestyle in many ways. For example, he now watches his food intake more closely and adheres to a mostly organic diet. He also started exercising and stopped participating in extreme outdoor activities.

“My life plans have also been changed, like where should I live for the rest of my life.” Though Kumar has lived in the U.S. for ten years now, he longs to return to India. But, because he knows that his chances of optimal preservation decrease the further he lives from Alcor, Kumar has decided to stay in the U.S. Some of Kumar’s dreams for improved Alcor capabilities center on this theme. “I think it would be nice if [Alcor] had their own air transport like a chopper or something in the U.S. And [they] should have more infrastructure in bringing bodies from other countries.”

Because the transport of cryonics patients to the Alcor facility is one of the most challenging obstacles to ensuring a successful cryopreservation, Kumar worries about his increasingly frequent need to travel abroad for film-making purposes. In the future, when he is more financially stable, Kumar hopes to open a cryonics center in India. In the meantime, he notifies Alcor of his plans when traveling, maintains weekly contact with another Alcor member in the U.S., and informs cooperative friends and family what to do, and who to call, in the event of an emergency.

Another major issue concerns Kumar since he signed up with Alcor: marriage and children. It is easy to realize that a relationship between two people may be made easier if both parties agree on certain topics, and as most cryonicists know, the single largest threat to successful cryopreservation is next-of-kin who have a vested interest in their relative NOT being preserved. “…I would like to marry a person who supports cryonics,” he says. “I am even a little worried about my future children, whether they support me or not in this matter.”

Fortunately, Kumar’s immediate family, including his mother, brother, and sister understand and support his decision to be cryopreserved in an effort to achieve immortality. But he stresses the importance of building a strong community of cryonicists to support one another in times of need. Kumar’s advice to all Alcor members: “Be strong and supportive to other members. We are like a family, especially when immediate family does not support [us], we — our “cryonics family” — have to support each other.”

Update 2013:

Kumar’s first feature-length dramatic film Minugurulu (“Fireflies”) was completed in 2012. The film revolves around the visually impaired children in an orphanage, played by actual blind children, and the way they overcome their problems through determination and perseverance. Kumar states “I’d want the film audience to just be with the blind children and experience their life through this film. Though challenged by the absence of sight, they can embrace all means of life. Nothing is impossible for them. They can do whatever they want to do; they can achieve whatever they want to.” Two posters for the movie are shown below.

Minugurulu

Minugurulu

Find out more about Kumar and his work at his website respectcreations.com.

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