JOIN USAll those Airtel ads swamping the small screen space with social messaging were a harbinger of another season of Aamir Khan’s signature social activism show Satyamev Jayate.
A ticketless guy on a bus being knowingly told by the conductor that Satyamev Jayate is soon going on air. A man beating up his child being pointedly informed by a neighbour about the upcoming Season 3 of a show that takes up social causes right from child abuse to domestic violence.
All these promos are a telling pointer to the fact that the show has evolved to be the voice of the aam aadmi, and become synonymous with citizen activism. The new ads cashed in on the social impact that the show has come to command so much so as to instil shame in Indian citizens who are law breakers.
The previous season had also seen a slew of ads showing Satyamev Jayate to be synonymous with the law-abiding citizen. An ad showed Aamir watching citizens at a traffic signal from his high-rise terrace. The ones stopping at the lights were lauded as the citizens who constitute the audience of the show, while those jumping the light were projected as the ones who have no connect with the spirit of the show.
It is into this sentiment of public expectation that the new season of Satyamev... comes riding. And yes, that brings us to the big question: Does Season 3 carry forward its legacy and mark a step forward in the evolution of this social activism template on the small screen?
Well, while Season 3 does not mark much of a departure from content in the opening episodes, in terms of format, it surely is lower on its lachrymose-inducing quotient, a hallmark of previous seasons, and higher on the time element, with each episode extending to 90 minutes now.
The inaugural episode saw host Aamir Khan articulating the need to make sports an integral component of curriculum in India. And to showcase his case in favour of sports education, he had some inspirational voices weaving the narrative of the show. So, Season 3 entices eyeballs more by virtue of live personalities than through AVs of citizens and organisations who make a difference socially.
Who better than druggist-and-thief-turned-national-level soccer player Akhilesh Paul to be the opener to promote the cause of sports! How could Akhilesh’s story not have struck a chord across the nation when he said that from wanting to become a goon (bhai), his life’s goal transformed to become a soccer player, thanks to the life-turning moment when Prof Vijay Barse, who taught sports in a college across the spot where his gang used to stick out, became his guru. And soon enough, sports turned this anti-social element into a committed soccer champ.
The show featured the wrestling duo, Geeta and Babita Phogat from Haryana, sharing how their father was the driving force behind their “golden” performance in the sport, for he was the one who prodded his daughters to compete with men in wrestling, typically a male bastion in sports.
Then there was Shubham Jaglan, a 9-year-old boy from a small village in Haryana and a sub-junior world golf champion, who took to the sport as early as age five at a small academy near his home. But his dream was shattered when the academy soon shut shop. He kept up his practice with the help of household utensils. Then stepped in saviour Amit Luthra, the founder of Golf Foundation, who gave shape to his dream. Shubham went on to play 110 golf tournaments and even give close contest to world champion Gary Blair twice.
All these real-life narrations added value to the usual content of featuring stories about NGOs and video footages of professionals from different walks of life who are using sports to contribute more effectively to their field.
By beginning Season 3 with a heavy dose of inspirational narratives rather than a tear-inducing template, Aamir ensured his show does not get stereotyped and evolves to embrace a wider audience.
The subsequent episode reinfoced the social activism role of Satyamev Jayate with Aamir articulating the blurred boundary between an accident and murder in India by taking up the issue of road safety.
So, we can say that Season 3 of the show is on its way to consolidate its citizen activism content. And, Aamir sure gives us “won” for the road.