Shaktimaan was not world class material by any standards. But those who sat with their faces cupped in their palms and watched it week after week weren’t really looking for anything that advanced. So that is not what this series ought to be judged by.
Shaktimaan was not the’first Indian superhero’( as advertised) but it was effective and had drawing power. Sure it practically lifted the Clark Kent-Superman dichotomy from DC. Sure it had supervillains who were walking and talking tropes. Shaktimaan’s charm lies not in originality, but in just being there.
It was a TV serial that told a superhero story. No one had done it before in full earnest. Mukesh Khanna made a good superhero and an even better alter ego. It was fun to watch and made for great conversation the next morning at school.