Palaniappan Manickam

Palaniappan Manickam (born 15 November 1983), better known as Dr. Pal, He received his MBBS from PSG Institute of Medical Sciences & Research in Coimbatore, India, his MPH from University of Massachusetts Boston, and his residency in Internal Medicine from Wayne State University School of Medicine in Michigan. He did his gastroenterology fellowship at Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak. His fans fondly refer to him as "Gutman", a portmanteau of Batman.

Manickam made his first video in March 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. He notes that it "all started when an NGO got in touch with me saying they wanted a video for Covid awareness. I agreed and prepared a 10-minute script in four hours. They saw the video and wrote back to me saying this was very comical and that they wanted a professional video. I was gutted because I had spent a lot of time writing the jokes. They suggested I upload it to YouTube."

While the initial content of his videos focused on COVID-19, it gradually shifted to gut-health, and weight loss.

Manickam says that his comedic videos and live performances are his form of giving back,

Honors In 2024, Rediff.com listed Manickam as one of "India's Top Social Media Influencers."

Personal life His wife Vishnupriya "Priya"