When Michael Jackson hugged Jaaved Jaaferi at an NY show

MUMBAI: Actor and comedian Jaaved Jaaferi, who introduced the country to break dance, went down the memory lane and recalled meeting legend Michael Jackson (MJ) in New York.

Known as the ‘King of Pop’, MJ was a singer and dancer, who in his four decades of career, contributed widely to music, dance and fashion. He also popularised the dance move ‘moonwalk’.

Jaaved, who appeared on the special episode of the celebrity dance reality show ‘Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa’, reminisced about meeting MJ and shared: “There was an award function in New York where he was honoured by an Indian society. He came on stage when there was no one else present except me, as I was hosting the show at that moment. As he was coming up, I shared that moment with him, and when he was leaving, I was like, 'I won't let him go,' and I asked, 'Can I give you a hug?' He said, 'Yes, of course,' and he lovingly hugged me.”

“It was a very special moment because Michael Jackson hugged me. So, it will remain with me forever. I had introduced him on stage at the event, and he said, 'Oh, you did a wonderful job, thank you.' I said, 'It's a big thing for me.' He is on a different level,” said the ‘Bala’ fame actor.

He further recounted how his expecting wife insisted on watching the MJ perform live in Mumbai.

“When Michael Jackson came to perform in Mumbai, my wife was eight months pregnant (with Meezaan Jaffery), and she insisted on seeing the show live. She came with me in a heavily pregnant state and we stood there in the front row cheering for him,” he added.

The celebrity dance reality show witnessed a mesmerising performance by Sreerama Chandra on the song ‘Roshni Se’ from the film ‘Asoka’, along with his choreographer Sonali Kar.

The duo gave the timeless melody a new twist in their own unique style, promising a performance that redefines the song's appeal.

Talking about the performance, Jaaved said: “Sreeram, I remember when you performed on Bol Baby Bol Rock N Roll. Obviously, I feel a bit attached because you did so well on it. I'm just recalling the way I've seen you. Like Michael Jackson, millions of people want to be a complete performer and you also have a journey that you are trying to become a complete performer.”

“You sing so well, and as a dancer and performer, I think it's fantastic that you've taken MJ as a reference point. I really wish you all the best. You lit the stage on fire. As a performer, you have reached that complete performer status, you're on the way,” he added.

‘Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa’ airs on Sony.