He is 28 Years Old

The hypocrisy of Imran Khan’s PIL against Maharashtra’s under-25 drinking ban

Aamir khan has a certain sophistication to him in whatever he does. After Rang De Basanti, a movie which sort of encouraged the murder of politicians, he discovered the Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) and became a vociferous supporter. A month later, Fanaa was released and all the publicity he got out of latching onto a social cause proved useful for the movie. And then, just as suddenly, there was little to be heard from Aamir on the NBA. It’s debatable whether the whole thing was a marketing stunt, but even if you don’t give him benefit of doubt, there’s a style and scale to what he did. He went and sat with the activists, had a verbal spat with Gujarat CM Narendra Modi and refused to apologise when Fanaa’s screening was threatened in Gujarat by the BJP. With every succeeding controversy, newsprint and television seconds came free.

The Khan marketing genes, alas, don’t pass so well to nephews. On Wednesday, the world woke up to the news that Imran Khan was filing a PIL against the Maharashtra government’s raising the age of drinking to 25. It’s a silly law but that’s besides the point. No one takes it seriously, as no one took the under-21 rule seriously, as no one takes the rule that every adult in Mumbai needs to carry a permit to drink seriously.

What’s a little disappointing by Khan standards is that two months ago, the Indian public heard exactly the same thing—Imran Khan is filing a PIL. And this was what was common—a movie of his, Delhi Belly, was set to release then; a movie of his, Mere Brother Ki Dulhan, is out now. Would Aamir use the same trick twice? You bet not. Likewise, there are other unusual aspects to Imran’s PIL. Boyish looks notwithstanding, he is 28 years old; that’s three years over under-25. So, he has got his 22-year-old brother-in-law as co-petitioner. Then there is the fact that Imran might not be a petitioner at all. Self-confessedly, he is not eligible to file a PIL because he is a person of Indian origin and not an Indian citizen. Our sober minds await clarity on that front.

And then there is, of course, the fact that if you want to lend your star quotient, there are about a million nobler pursuits. From child abuse to starvation deaths, just take a look around. But they don’t get headlines. Alcohol clearly does.

About The Author

Madhavankutty Pillai

Madhavankutty Pillai has no specialisations whatsoever. He is among the last of the generalists. And also Open chief of bureau, Mumbai  

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