Michael Jackson’s only tour of India in 1996 had been the first major step of Raj Thackeray’s political
career.
The Shiv Sena had just come to power and Raj had the state at his feet as at the time, his cousin and Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray’s son, Uddhav, was yet to make his political presence felt.
Raj was the defacto Number 2 in the party and it was natural that the Maharashtra government rolled out the red carpet when he, in association with Wizcraft, decided to hold the MJ concert.
But it had served as ready fodder for Sena opponents. Critics questioned how could the party - the self-proclaimed torchbearer of the Marathi pride - organise a concert featuring the pop star who represented Western culture.
I knew the concert would be historical
We did not care about the criticism. I looked at Michael Jackson as a world entertainer. I have been a great fan of his music and I knew if he performed in India, it would be a historical event. We never thought he could be a political liability. Do you remember Bill Clinton only because of Monica Lewinsky or do you associate him with the great upsurge in the US economy? Hitler, for all his faults, did resurrect Germany. Similarly, I look at him as a great dancer, singer and composer who had a social message in his songs,” recalled Raj Thackeray.
He claimed Wizcraft approached him with the idea of holding the concert in aid of Shiv Udyog Sena. “Eventually, we hardly got anything except criticism. What people didn’t understand then and don’t understand now is that when I insist on the Marathi cause, it does not mean I am against other languages. When we got Michael Jackson to perform, we got him as a world class musician,” explained Raj.
Bal Thackeray in support of his nephew
With criticism mounting, the Thackerays’ resolve to stand by MJ’s concert had become bigger. The stadium had been earlier granted to Bal Thackeray’s estranged brother Ramesh for a programme, but the permission was cancelled for Michael Jackson’s show. Ramesh Thackeray threatened to immolate himself, but was arrested. Family friends arranged for a compromise and he kept his silence.
So did Bal Thackeray ever discuss the overriding criticism with him?
Never. He wholeheartedly supported the project. Not once did he say that it could hurt the party politically. He is an artist himself and therefore understood the phenomenon Michael Jackson was. Balasaheb was absolutely thrilled when he met Michael Jackson at Matoshree. The whole family was,” Raj said.
Aditya Thackeray remembers The pop icon
Thackeray’s grandson Aditya, who was only seven, has vivid memories of the Jackson visit to Matoshree. “The house was decked up and my grandpa had eagerly waited for him. Michael Jackson came and sat across Balasaheb. I was sitting on Balasaheb’s lap and he called me and made me sit with him. I remember him constantly moving to some beats, which were probably playing in his head at the time. He offered his hat to Balasaheb and everyone in the house clicked pictures with him. After he left, Balasaheb told us what a great performer he was. I became his fan after that,” said Aditya, who is now 20.
An awe-inspiring star: Raj Thackeray
I remember him as a very soft-spoken and extremely humble guy. But when he took the stage, he was completely transformed. His energy was awe-inspiring. I had seen him in videos and heard his music, but to see him perform live was an experience beyond my imagination. I mean, I knew what a legend he was, but I never thought he could be this big. But again, off stage, he was a very courteous person,” he said.
The History concert
For Raj’s supporters, the achievement of their leader was immense. Michael Jackson was a youth icon, Raj Thackeray was an icon for young Sainiks and together, they should have spun magic. It did in terms of crowds, but not in terms of money. The police claimed over 70,000 people attended the concert at Andheri Sports Complex, but the organisers Wizcraft claimed they managed to sell only 16,200 tickets. Raj’s Shiv Udyog Sena was expected to get Rs four crore from the show, but got nothing and Raj decided to hold another concert, this time with music legend Lata Mangeshkar.
That was a great success, too and Raj’s persona in the party grew leaps and bounds. He was now seen as someone who could identify with the youth and knew what they wanted. That was also the beginning of the cold war between Uddhav and Raj which rages on, even today.
I remember him constantly moving to some beats, which were probably playing in his head at the time - Aditya Thackeray
The Shiv Sena had just come to power and Raj had the state at his feet as at the time, his cousin and Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray’s son, Uddhav, was yet to make his political presence felt.
Raj was the defacto Number 2 in the party and it was natural that the Maharashtra government rolled out the red carpet when he, in association with Wizcraft, decided to hold the MJ concert.
But it had served as ready fodder for Sena opponents. Critics questioned how could the party - the self-proclaimed torchbearer of the Marathi pride - organise a concert featuring the pop star who represented Western culture.
I knew the concert would be historical
We did not care about the criticism. I looked at Michael Jackson as a world entertainer. I have been a great fan of his music and I knew if he performed in India, it would be a historical event. We never thought he could be a political liability. Do you remember Bill Clinton only because of Monica Lewinsky or do you associate him with the great upsurge in the US economy? Hitler, for all his faults, did resurrect Germany. Similarly, I look at him as a great dancer, singer and composer who had a social message in his songs,” recalled Raj Thackeray.
He claimed Wizcraft approached him with the idea of holding the concert in aid of Shiv Udyog Sena. “Eventually, we hardly got anything except criticism. What people didn’t understand then and don’t understand now is that when I insist on the Marathi cause, it does not mean I am against other languages. When we got Michael Jackson to perform, we got him as a world class musician,” explained Raj.
Bal Thackeray in support of his nephew
With criticism mounting, the Thackerays’ resolve to stand by MJ’s concert had become bigger. The stadium had been earlier granted to Bal Thackeray’s estranged brother Ramesh for a programme, but the permission was cancelled for Michael Jackson’s show. Ramesh Thackeray threatened to immolate himself, but was arrested. Family friends arranged for a compromise and he kept his silence.
So did Bal Thackeray ever discuss the overriding criticism with him?
Never. He wholeheartedly supported the project. Not once did he say that it could hurt the party politically. He is an artist himself and therefore understood the phenomenon Michael Jackson was. Balasaheb was absolutely thrilled when he met Michael Jackson at Matoshree. The whole family was,” Raj said.
Aditya Thackeray remembers The pop icon
Thackeray’s grandson Aditya, who was only seven, has vivid memories of the Jackson visit to Matoshree. “The house was decked up and my grandpa had eagerly waited for him. Michael Jackson came and sat across Balasaheb. I was sitting on Balasaheb’s lap and he called me and made me sit with him. I remember him constantly moving to some beats, which were probably playing in his head at the time. He offered his hat to Balasaheb and everyone in the house clicked pictures with him. After he left, Balasaheb told us what a great performer he was. I became his fan after that,” said Aditya, who is now 20.
An awe-inspiring star: Raj Thackeray
I remember him as a very soft-spoken and extremely humble guy. But when he took the stage, he was completely transformed. His energy was awe-inspiring. I had seen him in videos and heard his music, but to see him perform live was an experience beyond my imagination. I mean, I knew what a legend he was, but I never thought he could be this big. But again, off stage, he was a very courteous person,” he said.
The History concert
For Raj’s supporters, the achievement of their leader was immense. Michael Jackson was a youth icon, Raj Thackeray was an icon for young Sainiks and together, they should have spun magic. It did in terms of crowds, but not in terms of money. The police claimed over 70,000 people attended the concert at Andheri Sports Complex, but the organisers Wizcraft claimed they managed to sell only 16,200 tickets. Raj’s Shiv Udyog Sena was expected to get Rs four crore from the show, but got nothing and Raj decided to hold another concert, this time with music legend Lata Mangeshkar.
That was a great success, too and Raj’s persona in the party grew leaps and bounds. He was now seen as someone who could identify with the youth and knew what they wanted. That was also the beginning of the cold war between Uddhav and Raj which rages on, even today.
I remember him constantly moving to some beats, which were probably playing in his head at the time - Aditya Thackeray
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