Amid the buzz around the movie, 'Michael', an old interview of 15-year-old girl has gone viral, in which she stated that she did not take bath for a few days after Michael Jackson pulled her on stage.
Michael, biopic made on the King of Pop, Michael Jackson is grabbing a lot of attention on social media. For the unversed, the movie, that recently hit the theatres, stars Michael Jackson’s nephew, Jaafar in the lead role. The recently released movie has brought back a lot of memories of the global icon, Michael Jackson. Amid that, an old interview of an Indian girl named Piya has gone viral. In 1996, Michael Jackson pulled Piya on stage, making her an internet sensation at that time.
According to a report by Print, in 1996, Piya Thakkar’s father had brought the expensive tickets of Michael Jackson’s concert, 1996 HIStory Tour in Mumbai. When she reached the concert area, a man tried to pull her towards the stage. He told her that she had been chosen to perform with the King Of Pop on stage. In 2009, Piya had an interview, during which she recalled the entire incident and shared:
"I struggled to make my way right to the front. But there were a lot of people around, and it was getting quite suffocating. I thought they were trying to disperse the crowd because we were getting too close to the stage. Then he looked at me and said, ‘We are taking footage of the crowd, and you seem to be a big fan of Michael Jackson. We are going to give you the chance of a lifetime, we’re going to let you dance with him on stage.’ And they just pulled me up."
Later, during an interview with Outlook, Piya Thakkar revealed that she performed with Michael Jackson on You Are Not Alone. Further, Piya stated that after the concert, she preserved her outfit and did not even bathe for a few days. In her words:
"I am not going to bathe for as long as possible. And I am going to preserve my dark blue jeans, my black sleeveless top, and the white crochet tie-up till the day I die."
It is worth mentioning that at the concert, Piya Thakkar was accompanied by her aunt, Bhawana Somaaya, who later explained that as a teenager, Piya used to feel bad whenever Michael Jackson used to get trolled on social media. According to her, Piya used to say, "He is not like that. They are misinterpreting him." Later, when the documentary, This Is It was released, Bhawana stated:
"I remember watching the MJ documentary, This Is It (2009), together, and both of us were saddened that Jackson was no more. His biopic has brought back many vintage videos and stories, but the best one is our personal memory."
According to the same report by Print, Piya Thakkar, who was once known as ‘the fan who danced with MJ’, is now an engineer and the director of her company. However, she still has the same love and admiration for Michael Jackson. It is worth mentioning that not much details about her professional or personal life are out on social media.
Michael Jackson is making headlines again after his nephew, Jaafar Jackson appeared in his biopic named Michael. For the unversed, the movie hit the silver screens on April 24, 2026. For those who haven’t watched it yet, the film explores his personal life, including childhood, early performances with the Jackson 5 and how he became a solo artist. It also features MJ's personal life and the challenges he faced in his long career.
Ever since the biopic has been released, it has been receiving mixed responses from the audiences. While some loved the nostalgia, others felt that Jaafar didn't do justice. Recently, Michael Jackson’s son, Prince had a candid chat, during which he stated that he was shocked seeing Jaafar Jackson dressed up as the King of Pop.
What are your thoughts on Piya Thakkar’s old interview amid the buzz around Jaafar Jackson’s Michael? Let us know.
Next Read: Meet Jada Pinkett Smith, Will Smith's Wife, Actress Moves Court For USD 49K Fees From Bilaal Salaam