Aamir, the crusader?

Everyone wants to know what Aamir Khan's television debut in Satyamev Jayate is all about. But the actor has been characteristically evasive about the show. Apparently, there will be no disclosure from Khan or any member of his team until the show premieres today.u00a0A source from Star says, "We are not hosting any get-togethers or parties leading up to the premiere of the show. There will be no press interaction regarding the content either. Aamir wants everyone to watch and respond to the show and react on Sunday. He wants the content to be discussed after the show goes on air."

While everyone connected with the travel and discovery show has been sworn to secrecy, a source very close to the project tells us that the issue-based show is meant to strike a balance between the two very different Indias that co-exist uneasily.u00a0Says the source, "On the one hand there's the India where everyone thinks everything is just fine. On the other hand there is the India filled with cynics who believe nothing can ever be right about the country. Aamir's show will strike a balance between the two polarised societies, between the wah-wah and the rah-rah brigade. The show acknowledges deep breaches, fissures and aberrations in our social structure. But it also tries find out ways to stem the rot."

In other words, Khan will not only present the problems that plague our society, but he will also try to find solutions.u00a0Says the source, "In Satyamev Jayate Aamir meets individuals from the oppressed, and economically or emotionally challenged sections of the society. He tries to understand the problems that plague the people at the grassroots and then he takes those problems forward on the show. There's an attempt to take the individual crisis to a larger level."

Sources at Star feel only Aamir Khan has the clout to pull off a show where the host will serve the daunting role of a social reformer. Says the source, "Anyone else attempting this would be laughed at. But Aamir has the clout to be seen as a crusader. We're very hopeful that this show will bring about tremendous change."u00a0The channel has shot 13 episodes with Khan. "There will be 13 more episodes if the experiment works," says the channel source.