‘Lack of brickbats would have surprised me’

Aamir Khan remains unapologetic about his TV show ‘Satyamev Jayate’.

NEW DEHLI:

Actor and producer Aamir Khan says he would have been extremely surprised if he didn’t receive criticism for the issues he highlights on his debut TV show “Satyamev Jayate”. The Bollywood superstar is sure about what he is doing and is totally unapologetic about raising the issue of malpractices in the medical profession, thereby upsetting an umbrella body of 21 medical institutions.

“I have absolutely no intentions of apologising because I have not done anything wrong,” Khan told IANS in an exclusive interview over the phone from Mumbai.

After raising concerns over female foeticide, dowry and child abuse, the actor took it upon himself to shake up viewers and awaken them to the existence of irregularities in the country’s healthcare system.

He brought issues like cut practices, unethical medical practices, and commission demands to the fore and presented live examples of people who could have been cured with simple medicines but were advised by doctors to undergo surgeries, robbing them of precious, hard-to-get funds.

This ‘exposure’ has landed Khan in the bad books of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), but he isn’t worried. “We were aware that since these are issues that are affecting every Indian, obviously there are some people who are part of the problem, and they are not going to be happy with us because these are the ones who don’t want a solution to be there.”

“In fact, I would have been surprised if we would not have earned brickbats. The people who are getting troubled are very likely the ones who are part of the problems,” says Khan, adding that he hasn’t received any physical threats so far.

He however denied the accusation that he insulted the medical profession. “I have not insulted the medical profession at all. I have the highest regard for the medical profession. In fact what is insulting to the medical profession is those doctors who are indulging in unethical practices. They have insulted the medical profession, not me,” he states.

However, Aamir Khan is happy with the positive response from the medical community as well as youngsters who aspire to be in the profession. “A lot of doctors have written to me and said, ‘Your work is fantastic and we want to thank you for what you have done’. Dr KK Talwar, head of the Medical Council of India (MCI), was on our show and after the show was aired, he wrote to me saying: ‘I thought what you did on the show was very good.’”

The actor says his conviction in the concept and aim of the show has left him fearless. “I feel what I have set out to do is extremely important and what I support is important for me and very important for society and our country. I have absolutely no hesitation in doing what I feel is right for the country. So in that, if there is a small group of people who are getting upset, it is sad, but so be it. In fact, I would request those people who are getting upset to look inward.”

“I believe we are trying to make a sincere effort in first understanding issues and then shedding light on them, and we are committed to that attempt,” concludes the 47-year-old trailblazing cinema personality.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 9^th, 2012.