I am respectful how Aamir Khan, is showing solidarity to the Narmada Bachao Aandolan, is he taking his persona from Rang De basanti to real life. The idealist! Fighting for the displaced. Fighting out against the dam, that is going to displace millions of poor tribals.

From what I gauge, here is an actor who is creating a niche for himself as one who acts out the hopes and dreams of India. Lagaan, Mangal Pandey, Rang De Basanti. Is this what he really feels about India, is he so passionate about India? This is anyone's guess. Narmada has a lot of beautiful faces amidst the confused and sad faces of the displaced.

This brings me to my question - Are celebrities qualified enough to support such causes which involve political-social-economic-humanitarian concerns? From my part EVERYONE is. The logic is simple I have never been to the Narmada, I haven't spent years reading about the agitation against the dam except for an article by Arundhati Roy. Yet with this current media barrage on the Narmada, I have formed an opinion that I blog about.

So if an actor is using his famous situation to stand up for a cause which is debatable, I think we should applaud him. For he thinks about what cause to stand up for. And from his trail of movies, there is a sort of patriotism, which makes me trust the guy.

On the one hand, it is seen as a war between modern, rational, progressive forces of 'Development' versus a sort of neo-Luddite impulse - an irrational, emotional 'Anti-Development' resistance, fuelled by an arcadian, pre-industrial dream.

Both interpretations put a tired spin on the dispute. Both stir up emotions that cloud the particular facts of this particular story. Both are indications of how urgently we need new heroes, new kinds of heroes, and how we've overused our old ones (like we overbowl our bowlers). - Arundhati Roy

Let me addd even actor Rahul Bose has been using his time for the cause of the dam and its leaders on hunger strike.




We've got our new heroes Arundhati! Aamir Khan and Rahul Bose to start with!

I also wish tha NBA leader Medha Patkar's struggle is fruitful. She is undoubtedly the heroine India needs now.