First it was Parveen Babi way back in 1976 and it was followed by Aishwarya Rai and Shahrukh Khan. Now it was the turn of Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan to feature on the cover of Time magazine’s latest issue.
The magazine’s Asian edition cover title says “He’s breaking the Bollywood mold by tackling India’s social evils. Can one actor change a nation?”. This was clearly a reference to Aamir’s popular TV talk show “Satyamev Jayate” (Let the Truth Prevail) in which he addressed serious social issues like female foeticide, right to equality, malnutrition, education and human trafficking. The 13-episode serial ended on August 15.
Time, which carries a close-up of Aamir’s face on the cover, traces the journey of the 47-year-old actor — from his 1988 blockbuster “Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak” to his recent popular TV talk show.
It was only after his talk show that the Rajasthan state government promised to set up fast track courts to resolve female foeticide cases in the state. Khan was also invited to the Parliament to discuss the sensitive issue of foreign direct investment in India’s pharmaceutical industry.
The actor also met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and took up the issue of manual scavenging.
Aamir’s talk show on serious issues set him apart from other Bollywood stars who usually host glitzy TV game or reality shows, dance and song competitions.
Over the years, besides acting in movies, Aamir has taken on the tag of an actor-activist making films on a misunderstood dyslexic child (“Taare Zameen Par”) and the state of the education system (“3 Idiots”); lending his support for social causes from joining anti-dam protesters and embracing an anti-corruption activist — areas not many Bollywood stars venture into.
-With The Daily Star input
