Kisi zamane mein hamari large and largely disjointed family ke na ek Swamiji hote the. Swamiji kabhi bhi prakat ho jaate the, ringing our doorbell loudly. Kuch der rukte the aur phir, again, gayab ho jaate the. All this used to happen suddenly, without much warning, and it would throw the entire family ino a tizzy. Bhaag bhaag ke saari bahus would have a bath, scurry about in sober, fresh saris, carrying thalis of foods and puja samagri. All the men would be up and about arranging a room and sending a word around, to ensure a steady, impressive stream of devotees. Swamiji sab ko baithate the, head pe haath rakh kar gyaan ke do chaar gems drop karte the and phir, assembly line jaise, next issue ya insaan pe move on karjate the.
When Aamir Khanji arrived this Sunday, on Satyamev Jayate (Star Plus), after a gap of almost two years, mujhe laga jaise Swamiji is back. Aamirji ke last darshan toh had left me very hassled. But things are different this time.
In the first episode, Aamirji took on the one issue that has bothered and angered India a lot, rape. Like last time, Aamirji did a full appraisal of the issue how rape happens, why it happens, and how we can try to stop it. And to illustrate each point, he showed us gruesome, moving examples of how violent these acts are, of how the system rapes the rape survivor all over again, first the cops, then the doctors, then the lawyers and the justice system, and finally our mahan Bharatiye samaj.
Aamirji abhi bhi deep breathing karte hain, shock and sadness ka full demo dete hain, and cry bhi karte hain. But there’s lightness and less self consciousness. This season of Satyamev Jayate is not about Aamir Khan the superstar para dropping into issues like Bhagwanji, and doing tsk-tsk. This season is a short burst of intervention to fulfill a prior commitment, with some mandatory, Oprah-style hand holding.
But there is one major change in the show. Aamirji is no longer pandering to you, me and the aam aadmi. He is not siding with us and saying, “Hai, your life is so sad despite the fact that you are sachchai ka simple sa putla.” No, this time he is speaking the truth and laying the blame at our doorstep. He is not removing devta saman Indians from the problems they face. He is telling us that we are the problem.
As a sutradhaar, Aamirji ki power, unki sincerity was never in doubt. His perspective was a bit dodgy. But now that seems to have been fixed. The mirror that he said he would shine in our ugly faces last time, he is finally shining now, and taking us on, the so- called and so-eulogised aam aadmi. And that is why, ladies and gentlemen, this season of Satyamev Jayate will be less loved, less discussed and less watched. Because, really, who wants to hear first thing on a Sunday morning, “You are the problem. You are guilty as hell.”
