The involved celebrity

Sonam Kapoor and Sonakshi Sinha are not the only two film stars who have displayed enormous courage recently while responding to their Twitter trolls.

Twinkle Khanna, the daughter of Rajesh Khanna, has also effortlessly proven that our present crop of film folk possesses more than just good looks.

In the past week, Aamir Khan has met some of the top business leaders of the country. Last week, he hosted Mukesh Ambani, Kumar Mangalam Birla and Anand Mahindra at his Bandra home and then followed that up with a visit to Ratan Tata's bungalow in Colaba.

When news of these high-profile meetings got out, many wondered what could have been their agenda. One of the most astute and dedicated stars, Khan would not waste his precious time and that of his high-profile friends on social niceties.

In fact, word comes in that Khan had held these meetings to seek the support of top business leaders in his latest initiative - to alleviate the plight of Maharashtra's drought-hit and poverty-ridden farmers. Rather than blame anyone else, Khan has decided to lend his considerable heft to relieving their burden.

The aforementioned stars are not the only ones who are engaging in the national discourse.

Deepika Padukone defied convention a few months ago by speaking to the media about her tryst with depression - something that actresses of even 10 years ago would have shrunk from doing. She did it, risking her career and her fan-following, she says, because she felt "responsible".

Responsibility is the result of the Mumbai film industry's newfound confidence, to break out of its stereotype of frivolity and assume a more mature and accountable persona.

This marks a cyclical return to its old ways. Post-Independence, fired by Nehruvian ideas, stars like Raj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar, Nargis and Sunil Dutt had thrown themselves into causes and social initiatives.

Be it entertaining the armed forces or pitching into campaign for Krishna Menon or flood and drought relief, the film industry was always there - ready to use its clout and enormous popularity to help out in good causes.

However, its enthusiasm was short-lived once it realised that its efforts were not appreciated. Long before Amitabh Bachchan sunk in the miasma of politics, the film industry had more or less become wary of participating in the national discourse.

Unlike their seniors, stars like Anil Kapoor, Jackie Shroff, Zeenat Aman, Sridevi, Rishi Kapoor, Neetu Singh and Parveen Babi were noted for an insular and aloof approach to anything besides their own careers and industry. If they had opinions on anything other than the colour of their costume or their dance step, they kept it to themselves.

This was a great shame because it was becoming increasingly clear that in the absence of political leadership, it was only our stars, be it in films or sports, who commanded a fan following that could influence change and shape public opinion.

Today, our stars have realised that even as their popularity is used to sell toothpaste and house paint, they can wield it to fulfill their own agendas. What's more, with tools like Twitter and YouTube, they don't need anyone or anything to reach their followings.

So here's a question: what happens if the three reigning Khans - Aamir, Shah Rukh and Salman - were to decide to join forces to challenge the government of the day?

The answer to that should give many in power more than a few sleepless nights

Malavika Sangghvi is a Mumbai-based writer malavikasmumbai@gmail.com