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Shaktimaan

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In Hindi: Shaktimaan (literally possessor of Shakti, power, is a term used to describe somebody who possess a lot of powers.)
Shaktimaan
File:Shaktiman.jpg
Mukesh Khanna as Shaktimaan
Written byBrij Mohan Pandey
Directed byDinkar Jani
StarringMukesh Khanna
Vaishnavi Mahant
Kitu Gidwani
Surendra Pal
Tom Alter
Opening themeShaktimaan
Country of originIndia
Original languageHindi
No. of episodesMore than 435 [1]
Production
ProducerMukesh Khanna
CinematographyManoj Soni
EditorNasir Hakim Ansari
Original release
NetworkDoordarshan
ReleaseSeptember 13, 1997 –
March 2005 [2]

Shaktimaan, is a fictional Indian television superhero created by Nirmal Jani and telecast on Doordarshan, India's national television network. It was first aired on September 13, 1997. It has also aired on Pogo [2] in English, Chutti TV in Tamil and repeated its Hindi telecast on STAR Utsav. Mukesh Khanna plays the role of Shaktimaan and his alter-ego Pandit Gangadhar Vidyadhar Mayadhar Omkarnath Shastri, a photographer for the newspaper Aaj Ki Aawaz. Shaktimaan has super strength, the ability to fly, and is invulnerable to things that cause injuries on the body. The characterization of Shaktimaan and Gangadhar is inspired from Superman where the superhero lives and works in a city as a reporter Clark Kent. Geeta Vishwas is also a reporter in the series who loves Shaktimaan.

Origin of Shaktimaan

Shaktimaan received powers from seven gurus who trained and blessed him with "yogic shakti". He was the chosen warrior against evil by siddha gurus of catapult named Suryanshi. They are followers of the star Sun. As part of training he trained with Kundalini Yoga to waken the 7 chakras of body and gain 'super natural' powers from them. To gain complete control over his powers he performed the ritual of death. However, this did not cause death but made him more alive than when he was a normal man. He also performed Yajna in which he entered the fire himself and dissolved his body in fire. Then, the five elements of life, i.e. fire, wind, water, earth, sky revived his body giving him special powers from them. Thus after leaving his mortal body he was given a super human form to fight against the evil in the world as Shaktimaan.

After Shaktimaan was created he set out to destroy his archenemy Kilvish. But, as the Mahaguru explained, Kilvish can only be defeated after evil is destroyed. Shaktimaan's adventures show him pursuing justice and saving his friends while Kilvish and his minions plot to defeat him.

Powers of Shaktimaan

Shaktimaan has unlimited powers which lie inside his body in his seven chakras of Kundalini attained through mediation. Shaktimaan worships God through the symbol Om. Truthfulness is his motto. He can even separate his body into five different bodies of fire, wind, water, earth and sky. He can convert his body into light and can fly with the speed of light. He can shoot laser beams with his fingers and toes and other body parts and he can also stretch his hand and legs and other body parts very far. He is an expert at Judo, Karate, and other Martial Arts. He possesses the power of telepathy, teleportation, etc.

His only weakness is a crystal possessed by Tamraj Kilvish. This makes him powerless because it is filled with the evil of the world and is the source of the black powers. However, its effects are temporary.

Shaktimaan's main powers are as follows:

  1. Flight at the speed of light
  2. Invisibility
  3. Powerful vision
  4. Ability to manupulate the 5 elements known to man
  5. Immortality
  6. Ability to change his size voluntarily

Other characters

Enemies

Tamraj Kilvish
Tamraj Kilvish is Shaktimaan’s archenemy. Tamraj means King of Darkness (tama = darkness, raj = king). He has lived 6000 years, and is the source of evil in the world. He intends to rule the world by spreading darkness, hatred, sin and evil. It is said that the source of his strength is one-half of the "Shakti Punj" (the half which is referred to as "Paap Punj") which he managed to retain after he originally obtained the entire Shakti Punj by deceit from Shri Satya (Satya means truth), the founder of the Suryanshi. However, it is also mentioned that the source of his strength is the evil that is committed by people in this world.

It was later revealed that only Shri Satya can kill Tamraj Kilvish. After a death defying adventure, Shaktimaan was told that he is the rebirth of Shri Satya. Shri Satya had given the exact time of the child's birth and the place before he died about 5000 years ago. Tamraj also knows this and this is the main reason he is frightened by the appearance of Shaktimaan as he knows that only Shaktimaan can kill Tamraj. He murdered Shaktimaan's parents and his adoptive father, Pandit Shastri.[3] He and his minions plot to kill him but always fail. His minions include Electric man (who can shoot lightning blots from his body), Stone man (who can shoot stones from his body), Plastica (who can stretch any part of her body), Dr. Jackal (who is an evil scientist) and others. Dr. Jackal has helped Kilvish in his various schemes by cloning Shaktimaan and also by turning aliens against him.[4]

In the television series, Kilvish is often treated as the personification of darkness itself even though he was once a human being who later becomes very powerful and commits many evil deeds. In an attempt to become immortal, he left his mortal body and took an ethereal body which can't be killed but Shaktimaan is told that he has to kill all the evil in the world to destroy Tamraj’s ethereal body. Kilvish's trademark quote is "Andhera Kaayam Rahe" (May Darkness Prevail), which is also used by his followers.

Kilvish's character evolves as the series progresses. In the beginning episodes of Shaktimaan, his face is never shown and his voice is different from the voice that he uses in the later episodes of Shaktimaan, in which his role is played by Surendra Pal. Later his face deforms to become a distorted wolf like face.[5]

Dr. Jackal
Dr. Jackal is an evil scientist who works for Kilvish. His earlier intention was not that of becoming evil, but when he was denied scholarship for research, Kilvish provided him with funds and labs, thus making him a supporter of Kilvish & an evil scientist.[6] Though he is overall a brilliant scientist, his specialization is cloning and various energy rays. His creations against Shaktimaan include Kekda Man(a clone formed by fusing cells of Crab & human), followed by a clone Jog Jogaa, an evil clone of Shaktimaan and others. He also invented a shrinking solution and fictional EC- rays.[7][8]

Sahab
Sahab is an organized criminal and drug lord. Like Shaktimaan he also possesses double identity, the other being that of a law abiding industrialist and Mayor, known as Kumar Ranjan. Except for Tamraj Kilvish(and later Dr. Jackal), no one knows that Sahab and Kumar Ranjan are the same person, thus making this his biggest strength. Through his criminal mind, Sahab keeps plotting ways to create trouble for Shaktimaan or to defame him and to find out about the real identity of Shaktimaan.

Geeta Vishwas

Shaktimaan lives as Pandit Gangadhar Vidyadhar Mayadhar Omkarnath Shastry. Gangadhar works as a reporter for the newspaper Aaj ki Aawaaz with Geeta Viswas, and the fact that Gangadhar is Shaktimaan is still a secret. Later on, however, it is revealed to Geeta Viswas. Though Gangadhar loves Gita and they both know this, but they cannot marry as Shaktimaan feels he not might not be able to fulfill his duties if he has extreme emotional attachment with anyone. Shaktimaan feels this since he defies the laws of nature once, in order to revive Geeta who is killed during escape from a plot laid by Dr. Jackal, and as a punishment for that, he has to stay without his powers for some period.

Main cast

‡ - Gidwani was the original actress to play Geeta and was later replaced by Mahant due to unknown reasons.

Fame

Shaktimaan is the defender of the truth and justice as well as a role model for his television audience, even going so far as to lecture viewers on hygiene, patriotism and education.

When Shaktimaan first aired on Doordarshan, there were a lot of controversy created as children set themselves on fire or jumped off buildings hoping that Shaktimaan would save them.[9] In an effort to promote responsible behavior among children, Mukesh Khanna spent a substantial part of the airtime in explaining to the children that the stunts shown on television were not real and should not be emulated. [10] Khanna also stated that most of the controversies were fake and were raised in media to undermine its popularity. [11]

Shaktimaan was one of the most popular and longest-running television series for Indian children on the Doordarshan channel.[12]

Later a series of comic books appeared featuring Shaktimaan and published in many Indian languages as well as English in association with Diamond Comics and Raj Comics. Shaktimaan merchandise like costumes, stickers, dolls, etc. were also introduced in market.

In the wake of the 2001 Gujarat Earthquake, Mukesh Khanna toured the affected areas in character as Shaktimaan topping morale and giving relief to people.

Trivia

  • The series has many references to Hindu philosophy, such as existence of four yug or ages, and the belief that humans are made of five mahabhootas i.e. Dharti(Earth), Vaayu(Air), Jal(Water), Agni(Fire) and Aakash(Sky). It is said that Shaktimaan has also obtained his powers through these mahabhootas.

Animated Series

Shaktimaan: The Animated Series produced by Reliance Animation will be aired on Sonic, a new channel by Viacom 18 in India. [13]

See Also

References

  1. ^ "Satinder528's channel". Satinderpal Singh. Retrieved 13 Jan 2012.
  2. ^ a b "Screen On & Off". The Telegraph. 15 June 2005. Retrieved 25 Nov 2011.
  3. ^ "International Hero - Shaktimaan". Retrieved 25 Nov 2011.
  4. ^ Tushar Abhichandani (21 June 2006). "Bad Boys". ]: Indian Express. Retrieved 23 Oct 2011.
  5. ^ "Bakwaas by biswas(wordpress blog)". Retrieved 13 Jan 2012.
  6. ^ "Episode 224". Retrieved 13 Jan 2012.
  7. ^ "Episode 224". Retrieved 13 Jan 2012.
  8. ^ "Episode 225". Retrieved 13 Jan 2012.
  9. ^ "The Shaktimaan effect". Indian Express. 22 Feb 1999. Retrieved 22 Oct 2011.
  10. ^ http://www.screenindia.com/old/20000922/tclos.htm
  11. ^ "'Shaktimaan' deaths instigated:Producer". The New India Express. 09 Jan 1999. Retrieved 22 Oct 2011. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  12. ^ http://box4.chakpak.com:9080/articles/?p=18802
  13. ^ "Viacom18 to launch new channel Sonic for young adults this month". Economic Times. 1 Dec 2011. Retrieved 16 Dec 2011. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
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