“They don’t really care about us,” repeatedly played and the performers, moon-walked, break-danced, and gyrated to lure curious shoppers of a mall.
A tribute to the pop icon, the city was to see mass moonwalking to celebrate Michael Jackson’s birthday on Monday. A popular mall was to witness a Limca record-setting performance by “the largest gathering of moon-walkers”.
Well, the record would’ve been easy; nowhere was it attempted before after all. Yet, what transpired was nowhere near the promise made by the PR machinery of Desitara, a talent search portal, which had organised the MJ tribute.
There was, of course, a sprinkling of die-hard Michael Jackson fans. The kind who dress like him, walk like him, adopt his air, and pretend to be the King of Pop; a few who were even almost there. “They don’t really care about us,” played again and again. And the performers, moon-walked, break-danced, and gyrated - more than enough to lure curious shoppers.
Waylaid by the blaring MJ tracks, aggressive compering by two enthusiastic youngsters, and the row of camera wielding media representatives, the erstwhile shoppers crowded in to watch the action.
Almost all had their mobiles out to record the “record-setting”.
Well, that was not to be as they found out soon enough that they were to make the record themselves. They were cajoled, pleaded, begged and just dragged, to join the mass moon-walking.
In a few minutes, the experts demonstrated the rudiments of the move made famous by the King. And the motley crowd, around 65 people moonwalked. Some of them at least. The others dragged their feet, simply walked backward, looked perplexed and giggled nervously.
Did they set the record? “We have recorded the attempt on camera, and would be sending it to the Limca Book of Records officials for their verdict. We would know that later. As you saw, over 50 people participated in this mass moonwalking,” said Mansoor Ahamed, CEO & Vice Chairman of Connect Films Media, the parent company of Desitara.
They had conducted three “Tribute to Michael Jackson” contests online earlier. Twenty-two-year-old Hari from Chennai, who was the winner of the season three, was present to lead the performance here. Hari won a Sony camcorder for his act. “These contests saw participants from 50 countries, and were voted for by our community base of around 2,00,000,” said Ahamed.
There was also an MJ quiz, and winners bagged goodies from Desitara.
The evening might have been far from the anticipation created beforehand, nevertheless, everybody seemed entertained. A tribute or not, entertainment — isn’t that something Michael Jackson represented (besides much else, of course)?
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}