Michael Jackson Came Home When I Was A Kid, Didn't Know Who He Was: Aaditya Thackeray

Thackeray also recalled how much he enjoyed spending time with his grandfather Balasaheb Thackeray, and recalled playing cricket with him and seeing him meet people when he was a child.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray revealed during an interview that he met Michael Jackson when he was a child, but did not know who he was at that time.

Source : PTI

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray revealed that he had met American pop star Michael Jackson when he visited his grandfather Balasaheb Thackeray at their family residence 'Matoshree' in Mumbai. However, he recalled not being able to recognise the iconic singer back then.  

During an interview, Thackeray was asked how old he was when he realised he wanted to follow in his grandfather's footsteps and join politics. To this, he replied that he had a great political influence on himself as he had grown up being surrounded by politicians and spent nearly 22 years with his grandfather Balasaheb Thackeray, the founder of Shiv Sena party in Maharashtra. 

"I have grown up in a household that has been largely about by politics. Of course, my uncles and aunts were in films, some were in business...When you talk about the hotel being inaugurated by my grandfather, Suri sir, and Bachchan sir, you find a little boy with them. I was here with them. I just accompanied my grandfather as this was also my way of escaping homework," he said during an interview with the Indian Express.

He further recalled enjoying spending time with his grandfather, playing cricket with him, and seeing him meet people, when he shared he had met Michael Jackson as a child.

"Just sit in grandad's car and move around. But I enjoyed my time just sitting with my grandfather for 22 years of my life almost every day that I was home. We would play cricket. He had meetings with ministers who wanted to meet him or some of the big people like Michael Jackson or whatever we always he met Michael Jackson," he said.

Thackeray further went on to say that he did not know who Michael Jackson was at that time and it was only after he saw his concert that he realised who he was was and recalled being "blown away" by his performance. 

"Yeah he had come home the first time when I met Michael Jackson I didn't know who he was of course my parents were excited the whole of the city was down in our uh you know living room I didn't know of course when I saw the concert then I was like blown away and he's God uh in terms of music and performance and lyrics," the Shiv Sena (UBT) leader said. 

'Politicians Can Be Edgy, But Politics Is A Beautiful Profession'

Thackeray said that he wanted to join politics as he feels it is the only field through which one can have huge impact on the society and change people's lives.

"But I've had this habit of just being around my grandfather and when I I've seen him uh trying to problem solve for some people trying to uh you know live up to the hopes of people. I thought this is the only field that you can have a huge impact through. The only and only profession where one decision can change lives is politics," he said.

He said politicians can be edgy at times, but stressed on how he found the profession to be a "beautiful" one.

"You know typically a politician is also a negative word to be used that is the kind of connotation or negative tone we've given to politics and politician because I think politics has gone down to that. It's for us to sort of speak of our work and try to clean it up and you've got to jump into the muck to clean it up," he added.