The Witty Stride

– Satyakam Ray

The Avengers: Endgame broke all Hollywood records in terms of revenue. It also touched the hearts of millions with its powerful and emotional portrayal of superheroes and the fantastic Marvel storylines. Though the Indian audience cherished it, many ’90s kids remember the first Indian superhero, Shaktimaan.

Every Sunday at noon Indian Standard Time (IST) in the early 2000s, TVs in Indian households were always turned on. The reason was that Shaktimaan was telecast at that time. For 90s kids, Shaktimaan is an emotion. For people outside India unfamiliar with Shaktimaan, it’s the first Indian superhero. It is comparable to those in the Marvel or DC Universe. Way before CGI or green-screen superheroes ruled in the hearts of Indian fans, Indian ’90s kids adulated Shaktimaan.

Shaktimaan is a TV series that premiered in 1997 and concluded in 2005. The first of its kind among the Indian audience, it grabbed the attention of young adults like never before. Through a fictional storyline—a battle between good and evil—it aimed to promote truth, honesty, and integrity among young minds.

At that time, YouTube, smartphones, and the internet were not prevalent. The ’90s kids are now adults in their mid-20s or early 30s. They find the visual graphics of Shaktimaan somewhat crude. The graphics may seem laughable compared to the current technological advancements. We all enjoyed the show just as much without any mockery.

Mukesh Khanna’s acting was top-notch as he portrayed two characters at once. Shaktimaan—the all-mighty superhero—and the disguised, little not-so-smart Gangadhar complemented each other with a superhero vibe and dry humor. Other notable side characters were exceptional as well. These include the Suryavanshis, Sadguru, and Geeta Biswas. Villains like the Khilbhis and scientist Jayakal also performed exceptionally well in the TV series. Barring any graphical disadvantages, Shaktimaan was a whole package of entertainment and moral teaching. It was worth watching at the time, so DD retelecasted Shaktimaan in 2020.

The little love story between Geeta Biswas and Shaktimaan is particularly memorable. There are cunning tricks by a Shaitan scientist, Jayakal, who always says ‘pawar’ as the punch line. Followers of the dark chant ‘andhera kayam rahe.’ There are little cameos by electric man, kekda man, and kapala. These are just a few villains that stand out as everlasting memories.

But if you ask any 90s kid what exactly stands out in their mind when you mention Shaktimaan, what comes to mind? The answer is Mukesh Khanna’s acting, unconventional villains, visually appealing graphics, and a compelling storyline. In our leisure time, we used to discuss the number of chakras in Shaktimaan and their significance.

As little kids, we emulated many of Shaktimaan’s good qualities as we believed in the character. A particularly noticeable thing during that period was that many kids tried to spin like Shaktimaan and got hurt. The author himself did a foolish stunt in his school days and got hurt. After several incidents, Shaktimaan had to appear on TV to ask kids not to do that. We listened to him. We also paid attention when he started the “chhoti chhoti lekin moti baate” program. It was designed to educate us about good, moral behavior in daily chores. The “Thank you, Shaktimaan” at the end of the program has become a meme now. It was quite a thing back then.

Can Shaktimaan 2 create the same impact among kids as it did in its first run? The answer might be no. The scenarios may not be suitable for today’s audience due to technological changes and societal trends.

A comparison with Marvel or DC Universe is ludicrous, as their budget and storylines differ. Yet, with a limited budget and technical advantage, Shaktimaan has done its job, and it’s still remembered by 90s kids. Almost 18 years later, the series has made a massive statement. The Shaktimaan fan clubs of yesteryear no longer exist. Still, a TV serial or web series of that caliber is unthinkable to produce these days. It would not get the massive audience acceptance that Shaktimaan has. Because in the end, it’s Shaktimaan, an emotion of the ’90s kid.