Shaktimaan Khanna, all for social causes

Three and half years ago when Mukesh Khanna decided to produce Shaktimaan and act in it as well, his main purpose was to create a popular indigenous super hero on Indian television. He also wanted to break away from his solomon Bheeshma Pitamah’s image and make something that will not only entertain but educate kids as well. The first two purposes have been achieved but the educational and entertainment aspect is a continuing process.

But thanks to the super success of the serial and the popularity of the superhero played by the actor-producer himself, Khanna is now being used in public awareness campaigns and projects to promote social causes.
Here are two examples. For the past one year, BBC has been airing short films on leprosy eradication as part of its year-long campaign. Last month BBC featured Mukesh Khanna in one of its short films to make people aware of the fact that leprosy is an absolutely curable disease. And recently on the invitation of Gujarat’s health minister Ashok Bhatt, Khanna inaugurated the state government’s basic health check-up programmes for one crore school children. Says Khanna who is affectionately called Shaktimaan uncle by kids, "Social causes are very close to my heart and I am all there to support them. Whoever wants to use the popularity of Shaktimaan to promote a social cause I am ready to lend a helping hand."

In fact, for the past one year Khanna has been educating children on various aspects like healthcare, sanitation, education, balanced diets, healthy body, outdoor games, morals, values and how to be better citizens through a special seven-minute segment which comes at the end of every episode. "We have also aired messages on the ill effects of smoking, eating guthka and ‘pan’ and other abusive substances," he adds. "And now having covered the physical health aspect, our next section will focus on the mental health - positive attitude, concentration, meditation and how to enjoy one’s work."

Meanwhile Shaktimaan, which is based on ‘Paanjal Yoga’ and deals with a buffoonish press photographer Gangadhar Shastri who is trained by seven monks to perpetuate goodness and fight evil forces is 125 episodes old, and has got an extension for another 52 weeks. Encouraged by the success of his maiden comic hero creation, Khanna’s next project is also a serial on the popular comics character Nagraj for which he’s already shot the pilot and submitted to Doordarshan. Khanna says he is also toying with the idea of making 70mm film on Shaktimaan. But that’s for the future. Presently he is busy entertaining and educating children besides supporting social causes.

ALC