JOIN USThe hype was huge and Satyamev Jayate (SJ) had managed to create waves long before it had even begun. Plus, with Aamir Khan as anchor, the show was bound to create ripples.
Post telecast and in the initial weeks, topics of the show became a rage on Twitter and FB. Scores of SMSs and opinions poured in.
But now, SJ’s TRPs have begun dipping. While Khan chooses to ignore the dip, saying that ‘7000 TV sets can’t determine the viewership’ of his show, what if the dip is also an indicator of the fact that the impact that the show desired is just not there?
A major reason could be the entertainment factor. Rohit Bahuguna, a student at Delhi College of Art says, “Why do people like Bigg Boss so much? Entertainment is what people look for. SJ worked only because of Aamir Khan. It is not the issues people are bothered about. A random TV show host would not have garnered even half the viewership.”
Seconds Meghna Ojha, a technical analyst, “I feel that the show is losing its TRP because it relates to serious social issues which can at times be depressing to see and hear about. No one likes to wake up in the morning and see negative things that the show highlights. People these days are working six days a week and they get only a Sunday off. Although it is a bit sad but people want to watch something fun and entertaining.”
Shruti Thapliyal, a student of Economics at Sri Venkateswara College, feels that the issues being highlighted do not exactly have mass appeal. “Female foeticide, honour killings and domestic violence are issues with some mass appeal but disability and all, nobody would watch it because not many relate to it. Obviously, viewers do switch channels if they don’t like the topic and the purpose is defeated,” she says.
Vibhor Saxena, a student at IIT Delhi, has a new perspective, “The problem is that they show a new issue in every episode instead of following it up for a certain period of time and actually working towards a solution.”
Susheel Sehgal, working with Krishna Water Tribunal, feels the same. “We know these points but what is the impact of the action taken? Aamir says he’s written a letter. We agree but then what happened after he wrote that letter. Anna Hazare showed us the corrupt system and then did something about it and then also showed the impact of his actions. We don’t see anything like that in SJ,” he asserts.
There is also a general dislike of the camera zooming in on crying or sympathetic faces.
Twitter has a plethora of jokes for you. Some even called Aamir Khan the Oprah Winfrey of India! Issues are being trivialised. Most people know about these issues but the way of presenting them doesn’t go down too well with them. Mobile phone and Facebook activism doesn’t get one anywhere. More specifically, 90 minutes of showtime are just not enough even to highlight - forget resolve – the grave issues facing the country today.