First aired in 1997, Shaktimaan still remains India’s most popular superhero. No matter what you were doing, 12 noon on Sundays used to be reserved for Mukesh Khanna saving the world with his superhero antics.
That’s why, almost 20 years after it was first aired, we revisited the show and came across some, well, WTF moments that we’d overlooked as kids. Check ’em out.
1. When Shaktimaan got imprinted on the wall.
Okay so this one episode had Shaktimaan fighting his evil clone.
At one point in the fight, the clone picks up a huuuuuuge rock.
And imprints Shaktimaan on the wall.
Of course, Shaktimaan being Shaktimaan comes out of this imprinted form of his.
And looks tacky AF in the process.
2. When Shaktimaan came face to face with a villain who fired from his chest hair.
Okay, so throughout his run on the Indian television, Shaktimaan had fought some really crazy villains.
But none were as weird as Kapala.
This guy right here.
What made Kapala different from other super villains were his chest hair.
Seriously, how many people can fire from their chest hair?
Or maybe, it was his body odour that weakened Shaktimaan.
Perhaps, we’ll never know.
3. When Shaktimaan predicted 3D printing.
This was one superpower even we weren’t prepared for.
Remember Kapala? Well, he manages to trap Shaktimaan inside a computer.
Like not an image of his, not a video clip of his, but Shaktimaan the human inside a computer.
Don’t ask how.
And then proceeds to disintegrate him.
But thankfully, Shaktimaan has an army of well wishers. The talented Miss Geeta Vishwas being one of them who then proceeds to stitch him back.
On a computer.
And takes a print-out of his.
Out of which, emerges Shaktimaan in full glory.
Such technology. Much wow.
4. When Tamraj Kilvish turned out to be Splinter from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Tamraj Kilvish was to Shaktimaan what Lex Luthor was to Superman.
That’s why, we as kids used to get super excited every time he used to come on-screen.
So imagine our shock, when in one episode, we found out that he was basically Splinter from TMNT.
Like, the resemblance is uncanny.
He did finally reveal his true face after a few episodes.
And we realized that Shaktimaan had been fighting Count von Count from Sesame Street all along.
5. When Shaktimaan fought Catwoman (sort of).
Adding to Shaktimaan’s long list of super villains is Catwoman.
No, not the one Batman has an on/off romance with.
But this one right here.
Notice how her monkey cap is on fleek, yo’.
In the show, this catwoman is simply called ‘Billi’. And she literally comes disguised as one.
Of course they then proceed to have a showdown in a public park.
But she’s defeated when Shaktimaan takes her to a mandir.
And she’s immediately transformed back to…well…a billi.
6. When they sent designer ‘Rohit Bal’ to fight Tamraj Kilvish.
We all know that Rohit Bal is an amazing fashion designer.
But turns out he’s an amazing actor as well. As is proven by his awesome ‘cameo’ in Shaktimaan.
He might deny it today, but that sure looks like him.
Take a look. How can that guy not be him?
Well, we can only hope that he hadn’t designed those costumes.
7. When Shaktimaan fought the Mummy.
Remember 1999’s The Mummy starring Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz?
Well, Shaktimaan surely does. Considering this one episode was basically The Mummy in Hindi.
A group of archaeologists come to an excavation site.
Where they come across a mysterious tomb.
One of the archaeologists then gives into her temptation and opens it despite being warned against it.
And finds this poor excuse for a mummy inside.
Soon after, misfortunes befell upon the camp…
The mummy then proceeds to wreck havoc everywhere. And you know the rest of the story.
9. When Shaktimaan killed a super villain… with table salt.
Shaktimaan doesn’t believe in excessive violence. Which is why he prefers giving a painless death to his enemies.
As was seen in an episode where he came face to face with ‘Jonk’-Man.
No, not Joke-Man, but ‘Jonk’-Man.
Before there was Ichadhari Naagin and Ichadhari Newla, there was Jonk-Man.
Jonk means leech in English. Hence, the name. Geddit?
After a long and tedious fight, Shaktimaan is still unable to defeat Jonk-Man.
That’s when he realizes that a leech can only be killed with…Yes, you guessed it right. Salt.
So he asks Geeta Vishwas to throw some namak ishq ka on him.
Which obviously kills Jonk-Man.
Such innovation. Much wow. Very death.
Krrish may come and Ra.One may go, but Shaktimaan goes on forever.