WHY IS ARUNDHATI ROY FUMING?

BY KAVITA KANE

The past few days has made us, mere mortals, suitably daunted by the absolute power –call it star charisma - of the celebrity brigade. These non-terrestrial stars on terra firma shine, sparkle, glitter, glimmer, kill hapless black bucks and sleeping pavement dwellers – and we are dazzled enough to consistently forgive them their trespasses (“oh, that poor boy (of forty???) is being set up!”/ “he’s being judged too harshly!”) in the collective sigh of adulation, adoration and applause! Not that these overgrown babies are always insolent ingrates – watch how magnificently the Shirtless Khan (with his shirt and brave face on!) waved and kissed the roaring crowds? Warrior’s return that may be not, but a return to his world of sham-glam glory, it certainly was.

Another Khan is starring in another real-life drama, seasoned with more masala than your spicy potboiler and impressing an increasing audience. That Aamir Khan has thrown in his lot to support the 20-year old Narmada Andolan Bachao is creditable enough, never mind the more than many cynical eyebrows raised. One shapely eyebrow belongs to the singularly articulate Arundhati Roy who has wondered aloud how an MNC-endorser like Khan can turn a social crusader. Interestingly, a few years ago, this Booker-winning author of The God of Small Things decided to become one of the children of a lesser God herself, when she backed the fermenting farmers demanding rehabilitation. The good author left no listening ear indifferent to her fiery and elegantly eloquent call for her full support to the same movement, triggered off by the indomitable Medha Patkar two decades ago, much before the above-mentioned celebs basked in their respective glories.

Now it’s the turn of star Khan to twinkle. It is his turn to spout those fine lines, wonderful words and earnest pleas. The spotlight has been turned away from the crusading author to the crusading actor …and abruptly the star author finds herself paling in ignominious insignificance. Her truculent remark wondering aloud, how Khan as Coke’s long-time ambassador can fight for a people’s issue speaks volumes. Sounds almost sullen! Heartening is the fact is that a neglected crisis like the Narmada Bachao Andolan has, at last, got a star presence to gather mass appeal, and no one should appreciate this better than Ms Roy herself who is battling on the same grounds, fighting the same war. But she prefers to worry her pretty head about the potable water Coke is using (which is, anyway, a largely different issue!) instead. Or is it that she’s nervous about the Khan charm working otherwise?

Besides pampering enormous ego clashes our country has a generous host of heaving problems the fussy stars can pick and choose from. How about switching over to the farmers’ mass suicide?