Life has come full circle for the three-film-old Bollywood actor Tiger Shroff.
In his latest movie, Munna Michael, out in the UAE this July 20, the son of Jackie Shroff will pay the ultimate homage to the iconic King Of Pop, Michael Jackson. After all, it’s not everyday that an actor gets an opportunity to pay tribute to one of the most controversial rockstars of the world, so early on in his career.
While Jackson remains one of the most revered icons of all times, his life wasn’t controversy-proof. But the icon, who died at 50, was never convicted. And Shroff hasn’t let it mar his devotion for the idol.
“I was not confused at all. I believe in him and I know what kind of a person he is. If you are a true fan, then you know what kind of a man he is. You will never believe the garbage that’s written in tabloids.
The bigger the star, the bigger the target,” said Shroff. According to him, Jackson was just targeted unfairly.
“Bad news sells and not everything written in print is the gospel. It is obvious that people wanted money and there were jealous of his power and fame,” said Shroff in an interview with Gulf News tabloid!.
While his faith in his idol is unshakeable, he’s equally confident about his new film.
Here are ten things to know about Munna Michael before you book your tickets for the dance and action adventure ...
1. As the title suggests, Munna Michael is a tribute to Shroff’s childhood idol, Michael Jackson, and according to the actor there’s no other artiste in this world who has yielded such a huge influence on his life and his career.
“He’s the greatest entertainer that ever lived. Whoever is hot right now — be it Chris Brown or Bieber — they are all derivates of Michael Jackson. He laid down the blue print for everybody to follow,” said Shroff in an interview with Gulf News tabloid!.
2. Munna Michael chronicles the tale of a young lad from a poor locality called Teen Batti, in Mumbai. That detailing gave him an instant connect because his father, the stylish actor Jackie Shroff, also belonged to the Teen Batti locality before he became a famous Bollywood hero. “He’s from that area and it felt surreal being there and playing from that locality,” said Shroff to reporters last week in Dubai.
3. The turn in the tale arrives when he’s on call to teach a local gangster some mean dance moves. The reluctant dance-teacher then finds himself teaching actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui, a local goon, on how to be graceful on stage. He’s a dance teacher on gunpoint and that adds to some of the funny sequences in the film.
4. Munna Michael is the debut star vehicle for the new actor and former model, Nidhhi Agerwal, who plays an aspiring dancer with a never-say-die spirit.
“It wasn’t easy to play this role because Tiger is the best dancer I have known. It took several hours of dance practice to make it look effortless and I hope the viewers see our efforts,” said Agerwal, who was plucked from obscurity through a rigorous audition. But she’s already got a nod of approval from her on-screen hero. Her co-star Tiger describes her as the most hard-working individual that he has ever met.
“For every song we were given an allotted time to rehearse. So imagine we were given two hours of rehearsal time, she used to put in around four hours of practice. She worked intensely hard for this film,” said Shrofff.
5. It remains to be seen if the world is ready to watch the talented Bollywood actor Siddiqui set the dance stage on fire.
Shroff released a few videos of him attempting to teach the unassuming actor some dance steps as a part of the movie promotion for Munna Michael. The results were hilarious. Here’s the thing about Nawazzuddin ji, said Shroff, “He gets the tough dance moves in a snap and takes time with the easy steps. But watch out for him.”
6. hroff’s fondest Michael Jackson memory is when he attended the late singer’s concert in Mumbai when he was five years old.
“I was on my dad’s shoulders and people all around me were waving their hands, swaying from side and side and losing their mind over him. And I still remember that scene vividly when the Jackson figure was standing like a statue amid the hysteria and pandemonium. It was an incredible night of my life,” said Shroff.
7. Shroff believes that the late iconic singer had a holistic approach to his craft. His ambition in his own career is to emulate his idol and apply it to his work.
“My ambition is to reach out like him and touch as many people’s hearts like the iconic performer before I die. He was my God and with that kind of power you can change the world. He could heal the world through his songs spread the awareness about the issues that the world was facing like poverty and terrorism through music,” said Tiger Shroff.
8. His other idol in his life is Bollywood actor Hrithik Roshan whom he admires for his dancing skills and acting prowess.
9. Munna Michael is directed by Sabbir Khan, who directed Shroff in Heropanti and Baaghi.
“Our relationship has changed with every film that we have worked together. In Heropanti, we had a teacher-student relationship. With our second film Baaghi, we became friends because we had similar wavelengths and now we feel we are like brothers after Munna Michael,” said Shroff.
10. While Shroff is known for his neat dancing skills, he claims he’s starkly different from Munna, his latest role. While Munna is an extrovert with a zany and a killer attitude, Shroff believes he’s shy and introverted. It took him some time to warm up to his role and look convincing as the swanky Munna Michael who delivers bombastic one-liners that will have his fans clapping.
11. If Munna Michael turns out to be a stupendous box office hit, then Shroff might consider taking part in the auctions that sell Michael Jackson memorabilia.
Don’t miss it
Munna Michael releases in the UAE on July 20.
Tiger Shroff’s thoughts on his favourite moments from these three Michael Jackson hits:
Thriller: Michael Jackson’s transformation into the werewolf.
Black or White: Through this song he wanted to express to the world that we are all equals and humans. That message is so relevant in today’s times.
Scream: It was a high to watch the brother and sister come together. She’s fantastic, but there is only one legend in my eyes and that’s MJ.
QUOTE-UNQUOTE
Recently, Shroff was at the receiving end of some bad press when he was slammed for comparing his heroines to “padding” when responding to a question relating to the casting choice in director Karan Johar’s Student Of The Year 2. Shroff has clarified that he was misrepresented and that his remark wasn’t meant as a disrespect to his women colleagues. So has that episode made him wary of the press and interviews? Is he more careful now?
“I am not careful. I am genuine and I speak only the truth,” said Shroff.
