Five Stages of Reaction to Satyamev Jayate

Satyamev Jayate premiered on television in 2012 and returned for a second season last year. It dealt
with complex social issues like female foeticide, child sexual abuse, domestic violence, untouchability
and environmental issues like water, pesticide poisoning and solid waste management. Unlike
popular soaps on TV, this was one show that wouldnt let you rub your hands off it. As the show
raised relevant questions, eyebrows were raised as well. There were reactions and emotions of every
kind, from brickbats and bouquets. But there seemed to be a pattern to these reactions, similar to the
one proposed by Elisabeth Kbler-Ross in the model, the five stages of grief.
Denial
There is no show like Satyamev Jayate. It does not exist. It cannot exist. It cannot exist because there
isnt an audience for such a show. The only shows with TRPs on TV are soap based. There isnt place
for a solution - based show. And even if such a show existed, no would want to watch it. Its Sunday
for gods sake! Who wants to watch a bunch of sob stories on a cheerful Sunday morning?
Anger
Lets say the show actually exists. Who is Aamir Khan to tutor us on social evils? We are too educated
and intellectual for this kind of a middle class guilt trip. What our country doesnt need is more filmy
activism. We dont need a desi version of the Oprah Winfrey show. What we especially dont need is a
theatrical, pretentious, tearjerker ably assisted by a studio audience trained to synchronize their
awwws and tsks. It is also hypocritical and thoroughly disgusting to watch a millionaire charge an
astronomical sum for doing a show on serious social issues. This man should have done the show for
free if he cared so much.
Bargaining
Well maybe its not that bad after all. What does the television have to offer anyways in terms of
truth? family dramas set in fantasy havelis? sloppy reality shows centered around dating? news shows
where debate equals talking trash? Amidst such idiocy, is a gyaan session a la Oprah such a bad
proposition?
One could argue the need of an Aamir Khan for hosting the show. But if it werent for a celebrity, not
many would watch the show. If it werent maudlin with its Har Baat dil pe lagegi toh hi baat banegi
tagline, many would flip the channel in a second. If the channel didnt see a profit in having the host,
the show would never have got the green light. Was the show nuanced in its analysis of issues?
Debatable. Was the format and treatment too simple? Maybe. Was it broad and simplistic in the
solutions it offered? Probably yes. Its intent was to reach the widest audience possible, not to be an
edgy documentary and within that framework, it probably did a commendable job.
Sure, the show did not solve the problems of this country. But it did not purport to doing so at any
moment. This was supposed to be about listening and sharing, and even if it is remembered in
television history as just another celebrity stab at activism, how worse was it than anything else on
television these days?
Depression
The world around us seems imperfect, unethical and most importantly, indifferent and it was
depressing to watch the subjects of the show, as they share their stories, of abuse perpetrated by the
system or society or in some cases, their own flesh and blood. And we felt their pain. And we didnt
need to embody a great messiah to do so. We felt what it is to be humane by mirroring the emotions
of the victims. There was sobbing, laughter, contemplation, rage and that rare poignant moment
where we broke the fourth wall, as we connected with the real heroes of the show, the guests.
Acceptance
The truth is that the show drew attention to practices that urgently needed a second look. It was
relentless, holistic, well researched and sensitive. What it wasnt, was entertainment. Or fun. Or
slight. To sketch the show and its effects in shallow word clouds would be insincere and amount to
gross injustice. To evaluate the show superficially based on its format is to neglect its essence.
Because it is the essence that validates something that our core collective conscience knows very
well, that truth will prevail.
Depending on factors which make us who we are, we find ourselves in various stages. Some may be
currently yo-yoing between different stages rapidly or have been stuck on one particular stage for
what seems like eternity. The truth is that this isnt the time to be on any of these five stages. That
ship sailed long long ago. Now is the time for the most important stage. The sixth stage. The stage
alluded to by the host himself in an interview, I believe that we empower people with information.
My question to everyone is What have you done with the information?
For Boxes

ACTIONS TAKEN
58,813,431

Votes
32,022,289

Twitter
200,553

Facebook
2,912,926

Video Views
21,279,587

Website Views
2,398,076