Should You Watch ‘Satyamev Jayate’?
Photo: Viral Bhayani.
Patriotism has always been a winning card for Aamir Khan. Be it Lagaan or Rang De Basanti, he tapped into our nostalgia for the glory days of the freedom movement, a pinnacle of national achievement that we’ve never quite managed to match since—despite all the fuss over hefty growth rates and World Cup victories. Independence was a triumph not of our net worth as a nation but of our national character. And Khan’s most successful movies have always offered a feel-good affirmation of our moral fibre. His aam aadmi is a good man who loves his country, and his fellow citizens.
His new show Satyamev Jayate too bases itself on this premise, and in doing it makes the leap from fiction to fact. The good Indian is not merely a feel-good Bollywood invention but a real flesh-and-blood person watching TV on a Sunday morning—or so Aamir Khan hopes. He’s taken his biggest gamble yet, and in doing so has put the onus on us.
We Indians cherish the notion that we are a good, decent patriots. Well, Aamir Khan just called our bluff. The irony is that unlike the other celebrity-helmed entertainment shows, Satyamev Jayate’s fate will not be a judgement on Khan’s star power but our much-vaunted national virtue. And he pulls no punches in making that clear: this is about all of us, not just him.
“It tells us about ourselves. It is a mirror that reveals our mindset,” he says. What is he talking about? Female foeticide, which is the theme of the first episode.
And that’s the other, big risk he takes: to cast aside the cheery, upbeat version of patriotism that we’re relentlessly sold, in movies, ads, and on television. The tone is pensive from the very outset—and candid. Khan calls out our collective apathy and indifference to the societal ills that surround us. Our tendency to look away, to make it someone else’s problem. He raises uncomfortable questions: “What kind of Shining India do we want to be part of?” How will we face those who won our independence? Did they dream of this India?
The entire show is designed to leave the viewer with few excuses to duck responsibility or awareness. He interviews real women with hair-raising tales of multiple abortions and extreme physical abuse—and makes sure we see their daughters, adorable little tots who would have been “killed in the womb”. Think foeticide is other people’s problem? He trots out a doctor whose mother-in-law kicked her granddaughter’s carrycot down the stairs.
Think it’s a woman’s fault? Aamir is here to tell you that gender is determined by the sperm. And he comes at us armed with census charts and experts. Did you know that sex determination began as a national family planning policy? That not one doctor charged with abetting foeticide has lost his or her licence to practice medicine? Perhaps the most notable achievement of the show is the way it manages to explain a complex phenomenon, identify and communicate all the key aspects, and package them into a single episode.
Aamir is also not going to let us just sit back and tut-tut, as usual. Sure, he offers us an opportunity to indulge in our favourite easy-peasy form of SMS activism—to back his request to the Rajasthan government to set up a fast-track court to bring the doctors caught in a news sting to justice. But he also hits us with the unpalatable truth: this is one problem we can’t blame on others, be it politicians, the courts, or the doctors. Female foeticide would stop if “we decide this will not happen”. We are the “jadoo ki chadi,” he says, so do it right now.
And just in case we prefer to think it impossible: Look, here’s a village in Punjab that has done exactly so. Aamir’s message is unmistakable: no excuses allowed.
In many ways, Satyamev Jayate is an extended public service announcement. Other celebrities content themselves with making an ad for a worthy cause, but not Aamir Khan. He’s turned his activism into a full-fledged television show. This is good, this is laudable, this is also not fun. Perhaps this is why Aamir tries so hard to make us cry instead—and tears up himself. If we don’t tune in for a laugh, maybe we will do it for a cathartic bout of collective weeping.
Will we really come back, week after week, to endure one and a half hour of feel-bad reality? (Even as the underwear ads starring Sallu remind us of all the fun we could be having.) We, the time-pass addicts, so accustomed to being entertained even by our news channels. Aamir is betting on it. And this time, the stakes are higher than TRPs or box-office returns.
“It raises a question about our national character,” says Aamir at the end of the show. And so will Satyamev Jayate if it fails. But irrespective of the outcome, Aamir will, as always, have scored a win.
This story by Lakshmi Chaudhry was originally published on Firstpost.com.
Tags: Aamir Khan, First Post, Lakshmi Chaudhry, Satyamev Jayate, Television, TVComments (12)
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Highlighting this issues is not solving the problems BUT abolishing and GETTING IT REMOVED COMPLETELY !!! is required
these Child Abuses, Love Stories, Doctor Stories ..etc… Are Many BUT WHO will get it Changed !!!!
Amir sahab ki shakhshiyat andaje baya bemishal hai.
Ap jo kam kar rahe hai apne hindustan ki aawam ke liye usse yahi malum hota h ki aap allah tala ke mehbub bando me sumar ho chuke hai aur allah taala ne apko select kiya hai ki jawo aur awam ko gumrahi se roshni ki taraf ka rasta dikhawo.
Amir sahab apki tarif baya karne ke liye mujhe alfajo ki kami malum padti hai fir bhi apke jajbe ko shalam karte huwe ek shair arj hai-
manjile unhi ko milti hai jinke sapno me jan hoti hai
pankho se nahi hausalo se udan hoti hai
khuda hafij
jai hind satyamev jayte
Today’s SJ episode on child sexual abuse is well-done, even if there is a bit too much tugging of the heart strings. There are flaws aplenty – what do you do if the parent itself is the abuser? What of the Child Protection Act (http :// wcd. nic. in/ childprot/ jjact2000. pdf) that covers abuse as well (http :// wcd. nic. in/ wgchilprotection. pdf)? How do you teach officers and attendants in the legal, medical and public proceedings to be sensitive and compassionate when dealing with children suffering from sexual abuse?
Also, future advice to kids who want to do social work and save the world: screw college and studying for social work. Go into entertainment/business and get famous. No one listens to social workers anyhow till a celebrity comes along.
Speaking as a social worker, you could say I’m jealous. And you’d be right – after all the campaigns and fieldwork and paperwork, it still takes a celebrity for people to notice social issues and give a damn.
I do hope that this show has some impact, though. If entertainment and media is the only way to get people in India to care, I’ll take it.
Sure , he has done great job to intiate social awarness in the public , It is praisworthy & needs our support. We except to see few episods on pathetic situation of those women of minorty who suffers in the name of age old customes & deprived of any freedom under the domination of male. Also expect to watch episod on organisations which teach lesssons of terrorisum & anti national activites to young boys & students.
Great Job Aamir, Its wrong that we indians are not aware but we do not have any plateform to raise our voice.
Aamir has wisely used his stardum now its our duty to strengthen his voice
Satyamev jayete
“Jai Hind”
- the title needs refurbishing ? – Life is more shades of grey than black and white
-
A show that makes us feel that more than the government and the authorities tha need to “ACT” and bring a change in Society , it is us as responsible and mature citizens to take the responsibility to make the change.
Love the show, love the format.
Definitely an intelligent program to make us think beyond any starry Reality show.
Kudos to Aamir and all the people responsible for waking us every sunday to a Reality we seem to overlook in our everyday lives.
Afroze Anis Nawaz ( Hyderabad).
Ut would be great to see all revenues generated out of Satyamev Jayate’s (after deducting all expenses/cost of productionm etc) is used to help these causes. That will be a time this program will actually be successful. Is Amir charging a fees for this program?
“He’s turned his activism into a full-fledged television show.”
What activism are you talking about? As per the yoozh, blinded by a darling celebrity. “Woahhhw female foeticide…jeez amir thanks for telling me man…would’ve never known otherwise.”
The truth: You and the rest of his fans are what india is all about. Until your favorite star shows you the way, you refuse to notice the obvious even while it stares you smack-dab in your face. Good, the only good thing aamir has done is used his star power to show muppets like you ‘the way’ (apparently)
If you actually opened your eyes, read a little and…wait a second just cared about someone across the street – maybe then you wouldn’t need a bollywood-non-actor to give you a lesson in morality.
Well done! give yourselves a hand you generation-next…oh and please don’t forget to do it while you play the stolen-soundtrack in the background.
Oh and just FYI Oprah has made a career out of what your ‘path-breaking’ Aamir is trying desperately to do – and made change he could never hope to dream of.
Idiots.
I thought the programme was very powerful.
What people don’t realise is that Aamir Khan can’t do this alone and thus he has been criticized for not bringing solutions to the table. That was not his point. He has set the tone for discussion that will highlight the issues around topics. He is the catalyst in that respect.
Something I wrote about here:
http://ravinonindia.tumblr.com/post/22606545127/why-the-critics-are-wrong-on-satyamev-jayate
It’s an active platform made available to ALL TV viewers; now everyone can get involved positively in ‘real and present’ social hurdles. After seeing the first episode, I can only expect some very serious issues coming forth for our understandind and action. Frankly, I am very proud to say – Satyameva Jayate!
More power to Aamir. This country needs a wake up call. If more of Bollywood could do this for the country, we’d make steady strides toward deeper personal growth and one that doesn’t foment the current tide of greed is good; humans expendable.