Rajesh Singh discusses Satyamev Jayate, a new television show focused on Indian social problems produced by Bollywood star Aamir Khan, which has produced some backlash against Khan’s social activism:

Aamir Khan has not claimed nor must he have been under the impression that his one episode will bring about mammoth change. But change comes when there is awareness in the people, and Satyamev Jayate has aroused that awareness. It is now for activists and other stakeholders including the Centre and the State Governments to seize on that awareness.

Rajyasree Sen identifies Khan as the main problem with the show:

Aamir decided that if the interviewee wouldn’t shed a tear, he would make up for it. So from wiping away his tears to asking one of the victims to sing in the middle of her utterly calm and frank narration of her traumatic abuse to hitting his forehead with his palm – Aamir pulled out all the stock emotional mannerisms we know so well from Hindi films. When Nishit Kumar of Childline said that what was most upsetting was that there was no prevalent law on child sex abuse, Aamir gasped so loudly even Kumar looked embarrassed. When Aamir had nothing to contribute while Harish Iyer narrated his experience he simply loudly ‘hmmmed’ while Harish spoke. It’s fair to assume that Aamir has seen the video interviews of each of the victims and has spoken to all the people who will feature on the episode and none of what was being said is a revelatory surprise to him since he obviously keeps very tight control over the flow and what he wants from each guest. So why the need for such exaggerated shock and histrionics as if he is holding up cue cards to tell his audience how to feel? All it does is distract from the real issue.

Here is the theme song from the show:

Here is the first episode on the practice of female feticide: