Reflections of reality through the reel world in the form of Aamir Khan movies and some glimpses from the developed world about the good, the bad and the ugly
What is it about some Aamir Khan movies and television productions that touch a collective raw nerve in our country. They also set us thinking about the real problems we have to overcome for India to truly take her place among the league of developed nations? His ability to reach that place in our consciousness that may have recognised and encountered social problems, either directly or in anecdotal fashion and his uncanny capability to weave an absorbing tale that jerk tears, entertains and educates at the same time is what makes many of Aamir’s productions an unmissable experience!
Aamir’s first memorable movie in this genre was ‘Taare Zameen Par’ which caused many mothers to rush their kids to doctors to see if any of their real or perceived problems were due to dyslexia. Aamir’s ability to take a secondary role and let a young debutant steal most of the time and affection of the audience made for compelling watching. Close on its heels the multiple episodes of television series ‘Satyamev Jayate’ brought many of our domestic skeletons tumbling out of the cupboard and now he has done it again with ‘Secret Superstar’ a movie about everyday occurrences in many homes through our nation that shakes us to the core, even as it underlines the hard realities around marital violence and brutality towards women that still torments the Indian psyche!
Three points that the movie makes loud and clear bear repetition here. The first is the deliberate acts of violence that some men seem to believe is their right because they have condescended to marry a woman who is unable to make a livelihood for herself. The second is the very partial treatment given to boys in an Indian home and the almost dismissive approach to the female gender. And the third is the denial of the simple right to dream a different dream from what is conventionally ordained—as a few years of academics followed by marriage— that seems to be the lot drawn by girls in many homes even today!
The four weeks I spent in the USA in October opened my mind to much that is happening for the good and a lot that is still to be done in a nation that has long claimed to be the leader of the free world! Meetings with the Indian American community and Jewish leaders in Washington DC showed the opportunity for meritorious people from every part of the world to make their mark and shine in the US. My interactions with many successful Indian CEOs from technology companies on the West and East Coast demonstrated that the American dream is still alive and vibrant for many of our countrymen. But the general angst against some of the words of President Trump and the dismal revelations of the alleged actions of Hollywood studio leader Harvey Weinstein show how many cracks there are in the American system and raises questions on the real progress being made even in the USA.
The four weeks I spent in the USA in October opened my mind to much that is happening for the good and a lot that is still to be done in a nation that has long claimed to be the leader of the free world!
The accusations against Weinstein have had one good fallout which is the unleashing of the tsunami of over a million tweets and social media comments with the MeToo hashtag. An appeal by Alysaa Milano to her followers on social media to speak about their own experiences has generated an international conversation about sexual harassment and abuse, in which over thirty per cent of the tweeters have been men. In fact, India has been the only country where over sixty-three per cent of the tweets containing the hashtag were by men, which could be either interpreted as positive in the recognition by men that there is a real problem out there or could be dismissed cynically by saying that this just points to a sad state where large numbers of women still do not believe they have a voice! The MeToo hashtag movement has shown that attitudes towards women are reprehensible not just in India but in most developing nations and many parts of the progressive West. It is time for change and men must make the change happen as much as women!
Finally, on the right of every person to have a dream, my own personal role model on this is the founder of Mumbai-based Dream Catchers, Sonali Ojha who has also been one of the moving forces of the successful interventions with slum community youth being made by the Pune City Lighthouses for Skills in the city. Recognising that one of the biggest failures of the Skills Mission in the country by the Government and many well-meaning corporations has been the tendency to push participants into a pre-determined skilling programme, Sonali’s approach is one of providing a “safe space” for every youth to articulate their passions and dreams and for the institution to do its utmost to enable that youth to pursue the dream. What this does is to give the power of choice to the youth and set them off on a path where their “agency” to succeed is maximised. We need many more such interventions and deep reflection to make our country a better place for every citizen in future!
Ganesh Natarajan
