There seems to be a wave that is rising close to the shores. The new show Satyamev Jayate by Aamir Khan has managed to enthrall and capture the whole country’s imagination.
The show was launched two weeks back, with heavy promotion starting almost a month before the show’s launch. The media team for the show has left no stone unturned to promote and actively engage every viewer in the country. The show is aired every Sunday morning at 11:00 AM ensuring full viewership in each household. Though big shows have generally opted for the prime-time slot (8:00 PM- 10:00 PM) Aamir Khan’s production has broken this rule to reach out to every family on a relaxed Sunday morning, thus utilizing the Sabbath effectively. The show is also available on Youtube and there are pages dedicated to the show in major social media networks. Aamir Khan, who is known to be a selective artist in terms of the number of movie projects he undertakes, added a lot of value to the promotions of the show as the mass considers him to be a niche actor.
The buzz that was created during the promotions culminated into a nation-wide phenomenon when the first episode of the show was aired. The premise of which being a talk show where the host ( Aamir Khan) interviews victims and showcases their story for the whole country to watch. The topics covered by the show are sensitive to say the least. Starting from female foeticide in the first episode and child sexual abuse in the second, it is evident that the show-makers are going to ruffle many a feathers. The show mainly talks about how such important topics are rarely discussed in our country and how these issues need to be resolved. Aamir reiterates throughout the duration of the show, that he doesn’t mean to point fingers or blame anyone but only to bring these subjects to light. The guests in the show range from victims of such atrocities and their families, to doctors and experts in certain fields. Filmed before a live audience the show seems to be a befitting reply to the likes of Oprah Winfrey and Ellen Degeneres.
The interesting part of the show however, is Aamir Khan donning the cap of a social activist, who has had enough of his countrymen turning a blind eye towards such major issues. The two episodes that have been aired till now have ended with an appeal to viewers to send in their support to such causes, which would be carried forth by Aamir himself in order to bring justice to the victims.
Bollywood and television in India has always been about entertainment through masala and very few have dared to break this mould and succeeded. Our most popular movies and TV Shows are either, family-oriented dramas meant for the seniors or sensational masala-filled adventures for the youth. A show like Satyamev Jayate which is intent on being a social documentary is a refreshing change. It’s not a completely new idea mind you, ask Menaka Gandhi or the creators of the “Jaago India” and similar campaigns and you will find that such themes have been tried before. It was however never tried with a star like Aamir Khan who could capture the pulse of the nation in a way never imagined before.
The popularity of the show will dictate how our generation will view things henceforth, and this is the most interesting aspect about this show becoming a sensation. A famous actor who could’ve charged the same amount and signed another movie contract has chosen instead, to educate the public about society and how we are both responsible and accountable to the people around us. This is a milestone in the Indian entertainment scenario as this puts pressure on other networks, stars as well as the general public to act on such atrocities and stop them. Aamir Khan might be just another actor, who after collecting so many laurels decided to give something back to the country, but this show has changed the landscape for everyone in a way that we could’ve never foreseen.
Social responsibility is being made a trending topic by Aamir Khan!
Not another fashion fad, not a lifestyle of partying, not Rakhi Sawant or Poonam Pandey and their incessant whims, but a subject that is both serious and utterly important for a country which houses almost 18% of the world’s population. The aftermath of such a subject trending would involve other stars, media houses as well as MNC’s taking up such initiatives to please the public, or so one would hope.
A future where every manufacturer as well as consumer strives to take care of the environment and society as a whole, seems utopian to say the least but Satyamev Jayate seems to have already paved a way for this to materialize.