Satyamev Jayate

Sunday morning is the new prime time, thanks to Aamir Khan. I’d always been very fond of him as an actor, though the ‘Mr. Perfectionist’ tag annoyed me a bit. Not anymore. I also didn’t quite agree with his advertising strategies (still don’t). The promos for Satyamev Jayate were on air for over a month, but didn’t seem very exciting; to me, it looked like a collage story on India kind of a thing. Later when I learnt that it is a talk-based reality show, my interest declined even further. But what I finally saw on Sunday was unnerving to say the least. 

The thoroughly researched show presented some shocking statistics and three gut-wrenching stories. It also debunked some commonly held opinions. One of them being that the issue is more rampant in small towns and villages. (I remember reading some numbers in Times Of India a few years ago which stated that female foeticide is rampant in South Mumbai).  However there is one thing that I didn’t get. Why did the women choose to stay in the house despite repeated forced abortions and tormenting? When they knew that the husband and in-laws were callous, and that another female foetus would mean another abortion. The classic counter-argument to this is that things are easier said than done. Yes, I know many women do not have the option to walk out of a troubled marriage; but eventually, they did walk out. All that I’m trying to say is the more you withstand it, the more you’ll be harassed.

As I was watching the show, I was uncertain how much of a difference would it make. Till Khan mentioned the ‘jadoo ki chhadi’. He hit the audience with the blatant truth that the problem will stop if we want to, if we decide not to let this happen. And for people who think its too late, he gave an example of a village in Punjab that managed to do so.

In today’s television era, where entertainment is all being offered, even by news channels (!), Khan’s attempt is certainly laudable. Dil pe lagegi tabhi baat banegi. Perhaps that is why he makes us cry. I have sobbed my way through the entire show. And just when I thought it was over, Swanand Kirkire came in and managed to break me down with his powerful lyrics and his mystical voice. But will the audience return to watch a tear-jerker every Sunday morning? They better.

Will the show change something? Its certainly wrong on our part to expect quick results. Change is a fairly slow process. But I hope this is a beginning somewhere.