Satyamev Jayate: Is Salman Khan the new Aamir Khan?

Gayatri Sankar

For someone who has been controversy’s favourite child, a stride towards meaningful endeavours seems quite unbecoming. However, with the fact that constructive steps are being taken and actions are making louder noise than words, one can certainly acknowledge the efforts that are being implemented. Salman Khan looks like an avid follower of his close friend Aamir Khan, and has started bearing uncanny resemblance to him in terms of his social stature. Arguably, the actor, who has been in news more often for wrong reasons than right, does have a few pages of testimonies fixed to his image as a public figure. For many he is a brat and for many more a magnanimous superstar. With an initiative like ‘Being Human’, Salman has struck an emotional chord with the masses, irrespective of his “not so clean” image that bothers the “well-read”. The apolitical actor had recently expressed his desire to see Pranab Mukherjee take charge of India as the President. He had even tweeted about Baby Mahi, the 5-year child who had slipped into a borewell in Manesar near Gurgaon, and eventually succumbed to suffocation. Of late, this Khan, popularly known as ‘Dabangg’ (fearless), has been voicing his take concerning issues affecting the nation and its people. He is, in a way, doing his bit of ‘Satyamev Jayate’ like his thick friend Aamir. Recently, when three crew members of his upcoming flick ‘Dabangg 2’ met up with an accident while shooting, Salman rushed one of the injured to Lilavati hospital on his bike. And people who stood witness to this, applauded his sense of responsibility towards his staff. Moreover, the actor has also launched an online petition in support of Sarabjit’s release from Lokpat Jail in Lahore, Pakistan. Sarabjit Singh is allegedly a falsely accused Indian prisoner, who had been sentenced to death in Lahore in 1991. The actor wrote a number of tweets about Sarabjit that read, “Requesting the people of Pakistan to support me to help free surabjeet who has been in prison since 30 yrs . Please . Allah ka vasta. Request the to the awam of Pakistan, members of the press, govt of Pakistan, president zardari, a humble request. It would be the most amazing gesture, to send surabjeet back to his family after 30 years . Hope u support me like its your own cause. B a part of 1 family`s happiness. Wanted to tweet this for the longest time , saw a pic of surabjeets sister, it Killed me. Felt real sad for her. Help me help her(sic).” Salman’s meeting with Sarabjit’s sister and his daughters testifies his serious involvement in seeking support to free the Indian from Pakistan. Talking about how she felt after meeting Salman, Dalbir (Sarabjit’s sister) said, “I am so glad that Salman Khan has taken an initiative on Sarbajit`s issue. Woh kafi gambhir hain iss masle ko lekar (Salman is quite serious about this issue). He is not just tweeting, but he is with us until Sarbajit is not released. It`s not that he is just tweeting and leaving the issue unsorted.” And added, “I am sure Salman`s initiative will help in release of Sarabjit.” Salman’s efforts indeed bear a striking resemblance to that of Aamir, who has been awakening peoples’ national and social consciousnesses since his debut on TV. His show, ‘Satyamev Jayate’, has reaped fruits and has resulted in the execution of a number of reforms that India was earnestly in need of. Aamir Khan’s initiative has been instrumental in creating awareness about a number of issues and even bureaucrats have acknowledged his work. Both Salman and Aamir are known to be each other’s critics. The two have always taken one another’s feedback on all the projects they venture into. Applauding Aamir’s TV show, Salman had tweeted, “Wah yaar amirkhan , teeluu ne toh kamaal kar dikha ya , yaar ab jisko hindi nahi aati vo zara pls isko translate karva lena, thank u(sic).” (Aamir had played the character of Teelu in ‘Aandaaz Apna Aapna’, the only film in which the two friends worked together.) Aamir’s show ‘Satyamev Jayate’ has indeed brought sea change in the way people perceive their social responsibilities. Here’s hoping Salman Khan’s online petition to free Sarabjit also translates into reality!