Die-hard fans of Michael Jackson, listen up.
The late dancing sensation’s hat, considered an iconic memorabilia, is right here in Alwarpet, Chennai, at the residence of dancer-actor Nagendra Prasad.
“The hat is a gift that Michael Jackson personally gave my anna (Prabhu Deva) who in turn gave it to me,” says Nagendra Prasad. “They’d met in Germany and were scheduled to dance together, before some stage issues cropped up.”
Later, when Michael Jackson realised that Prabhu Deva was also a passionate dancer, he invited him to meet him and gave him this gift.
The hat has now inspired a dance competition that Nagendra Prasad’s MSM Dance School is conducting across five cities this month. “I come from a family of dancers, and for me, that hat is a symbol,” says Nagendra, who has starred in a few films. “We hope that this competition, titled the MJ Cup, will spur many youngsters to take to dance and provide a platform for them to showcase their talents.”
After spending a few years in the U.K. studying dance choreography, Nagendra realised that his interests lay in the film industry. He’s currently back to acting — he’s doing a role in the Jayam Ravi-starrer Bogan , besides being in talks for the lead role in a Tamil film. He’s also assisted Prabhu Deva in a couple of his directorial ventures, namely Vedi and Rowdy Rathore . “But of course, dance will always remain my passion,” he says.
The hat is a gift that Michael Jackson personally gave my anna (Prabhu Deva) who, in turn, gave it to me
