Mumbai: Nearly three decades after pop legend Michael Jackson visited India during his HIStory World Tour in 1996, Bollywood actor Sonali Bendre has opened up about her role in welcoming the global icon—a moment etched in the country’s pop culture memory.
In a candid interview with media, Sonali revealed that she was approached by Sharmila Thackeray, wife of politician Raj Thackeray, to be part of Jackson’s traditional welcome at the Mumbai (then Bombay) airport.
“They told me that you need to come and do that… I think it was Sharmila, Raj’s wife. Sharmila’s mother and my masi (aunt) have been friends for a long time, and she said, ‘why don’t you do it [welcome Michael Jackson],’”
Sonali recalled.
Sonali, clad in a traditional nine-yard saree, performed a tilak and aarti ceremony to honor Jackson’s arrival in true Indian fashion, alongside Raj Thackeray who also played a central role in the organizing efforts.
The One Condition
However, Bendre admitted she had one simple condition before agreeing to participate in the ceremony.
“I was like, okay, but then I want great tickets for the show and all of that with my friends. So I did it because I was getting these tickets to enter where I could take my friends and go to the show. My sister, sister’s friends and all of that. We had this great seating. That’s what I was so excited about when I did it,”
she laughed.
Michael Jackson’s concert in Mumbai was a landmark event for Indian fans, featuring a packed stadium and a dazzling performance that became one of the tour’s most memorable stops.
Addressing Old Gossip
Sonali also took a moment in the interview to shut down decades-old rumors about her association with Raj Thackeray during that time, calling the speculation distasteful.
“I don’t know. I mean, a lot of people… I think it’s just not in very good taste when people talk about it like that. First of all, I mean, there are families involved and people involved in all of that.”