Satyamev Jayate

A lot of people I've been talking to have displayed a desire for me to write about the latest and greatest thing to hit the Indian television screens - The new show called Satyamev Jayate.

Aamir Khan, the actor who has written and produced this show, has always been in a league of his own. Be it his movies, acting, or public personna, he has always stood his ground and refused to follow the contemporary route. So it comes as no surprise that this, his newest venture, surpasses anything that has been shown on Indian television before.

For starters, let's take the theme song and video of the show. That in itself is enough to help surface the feelings of patriotism that we as Indians seem to have long past forgotten. Add to that the slick yet emotional trailers that were shown a few weeks prior to the launch, and you have more than half the majority of people chomping at the bits waiting for the show to air.

So given all this hooplah, was the show worth it? I, and most of the folks I spoke to, would say yes. And judging from the critical acclaim and mass following that the show seems to have already garnered, it may be safe to say most definitely yes!

One of the most important things about this show that differentiated it from others was that it not only talked about the problem at hand but also provided solutions to remedy the same at the end of the show. And the solutions proposed were not mere possibilities, but a solid plan of action was laid down which everyone can, one way or the other, participate in.

Also, one could not help but notice the solid and extensive research that has gone into this. Some very alarming and unexpected statistics and facts came to light. Not just was the show emotionally hard hitting but was also technically so.

Another commendable point was that this may quite possibly be the only show that is aired on both STAR and Doordarshan simultaneously. The point to note here is that Doordarshan is primarily one of the few Indian networks that are still free to the public, so airing the show here makes it accessible to more people. And if that wasn't sufficient, a special screening of the show was done in villages where accessibility to a television set was not possible.

And the wheels have already started turning - the day after the show aired the Rajasthan Chief Minister urged organizations to start taking appropriate actions against the atrocities summarized in the show, and also started reviewing the existing efforts that are in place.

All in all, it was clearly evident that this was a project straight from the heart. Aamir Khan has apparently spent two years working on the concept for this show, and it is clearly evident that his efforts have paid off. Hats off to him and the rest of the people involved for starting almost a revolution of sorts albeit through a television set. But the effects of this will reach far beyond the television and hopefully will help to shape India for the better.