How to evolve an engaging format for the evergreen topic of ‘Love Stories’ in the Indian context? Ask Aamir Khan; he had made a perfect presentation on how the Indian folk, parents and society scorn, loathe, fume and even turn criminals if the choice of the life partner had been made by the ‘girl’ especially in his latest installment of ‘Satyamev Jayate’.
The discussion moved through effectively with a very confident girl married to a physically handicapped man also fearing death because it being an inter religious marriage, the bereaved mother from the Muslim community, a sister who has been fighting fiercely for the justice of the gruesome murder of her brother and his wife, a bunch of oldies who called themselves as the custodians of the honor of the community in a very unconvincing way about the Indian culture, a professor who had done extensive research on the barbaric and illogical judgments passed by the village courts and an amusing supporter of love (he calls himself as ‘love commando’!). All of them spoke softly, emphatically, emotionally and animatedly.
But, surprisingly, the concept of ‘love’ though beaten to death in our movies in all possible ways, we still have so many cases of parents taking strong objections to ‘love marriages’. This once again exhibits the hypocrisy, double standards, male chauvinism and our outdated cultural values.
Nevertheless, the show ended with a positive note that an educated, enlightened family that initially objected to the marriage of their daughter outside their community accepted the same later gracefully. In fact, that is what had been happening in most of the places except where people are mentally immature and adamant.
The credit of the show once again goes to Aamir Khan who as in his movies allows the players to do their best by giving them the chance, yet cleverly dominating through the show as the anchor person.
Whatever has been discussed and spoken, I once again feel the Indian psyche is the most complex and controversial in the entire world. Love stories with sad, happy and cruel endings would be there in India notwithstanding the massive invasion of western culture of independence in attitude and choice.
