As the world celebrates Michael Jackson’s birth anniversary, we look to a corner of Kerala, where the King of Pop’s legacy continues to echo through the powerful steps of one man who never stopped dancing- Santhosh Kumar known as Babu Master, co-founder of the ‘Footloosers Dance Studio’, and one of Kerala’s first breakdance masters.

It all started with a cassette

Before the moonwalk became global currency for cool, before YouTube tutorials and Instagram reels, a young boy in Kerala was rewinding VHS tapes, studying grainy black-and-white dance moves on rented VCRs, and mimicking stunts from action films. That boy was Babu, and his stage was the dirt-filled open fields of Thiruvananthapuram.

“I was always into dance and stunts,” Babu recalls with a nostalgic smile. “My uncle, the late actor Jayan, was my biggest inspiration. Watching him and stars like Chiranjeevi, Kamal Haasan, Jaaved Jaaferi, Mithun Chakraborty, that’s how I learned. There were no dance schools. We had no television. So we’d find videotapes, sometimes books, and just observe, imitate, and innovate.”

But when Michael Jackson moonwalked into his life, things changed.

“To be honest, MJ made us feel like anything was possible,” says Babu. “His videos were more accessible. Later, we got to know about legends like Bruno Falcon (Pop N Taco), Shabba Doo, and Michael Chambers but MJ had already created a storm.”

It wasn’t just the footwork, it was the drama, the flair, the sheer audacity of a man who moved like liquid thunder. Jackson’s dance wasn’t just style; it was substance, storytelling, and a blueprint for an entire generation of dancers like Babu who wanted to take risks and break out of moulds.

“We used to pause his videos, slow them down, and try to learn step-by-step. Moonwalk? It took us days to figure out how he did it. We even thought he had strings pulling him! It became our evergreen favourite move.”

The breakdance boom in Kerala

While many associate Kerala with classical arts, the 1980s witnessed a quiet revolution in the state -- breakdancing. And Babu, with his brother Sajeesh Krishnan, was at its epicentre.

“Back then, people laughed at us,” Babu admits. “Society didn’t understand the punk style, our hair, our moves. We were stopped by the police for dressing a certain way. People, including lovers, told us we’d never make a living off dance. But we believed. We trained. We taught. We performed.”

In 1986, they started their own dance school named Crimmers, which was later changed to Footloosers.

Together, the Footloosers became a force, teaching martial arts-infused breakdance, creating code-named moves like mole kick, zindabad, suicide and manvetti. Their legendary stage battles and impromptu freestyles became the stuff of college lore.

“My brother is a five-time state champion. We’d win everything. But more importantly, we were bringing something new to Kerala’s cultural stage. Something born out of passion and pain.”

A random video goes viral: The unexpected second chance

Fast forward to 2025, a grainy, unedited dance video, shot casually by a videographer, goes online. The footage shows Babu, his brother, and two assistants jamming in an impromptu relay-style performance. Within hours, it spreads like wildfire.

“We thought it would get 1,000 views max. Just for our students and friends,” Babu laughs. “But suddenly our phones were buzzing. People from around the world were calling. Our followers exploded. It was overwhelming.”

“Maybe it was the rawness. Or the age factor. Or that it reminded people that OGs like us still got the spark.”

Even stars like Jaaved Jaaferi, Sreenath Bhasi, Vijay Yesudas, Sithara, and choreographer Terence Lewis took to the comments to shower their love. Some fans even asked about their “health secrets” and commented they had become “fan girls” -- at this age.

For Babu, the most unexpected moment? “Jaaved Jaaferi commenting! We used to rent his movie cassettes to learn dance steps. It was full circle.”

Once mocked, now celebrated. Once doubted, now demanded. Post-viral fame has brought a tidal wave of opportunities.

Legends in motion: The long road to respect

“We’ve been invited to model, act, choreograph in movies, judge shows, and take workshops in cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai. I’ve done movies before ‘Naradhan Keralathil’, ‘Highway’, ‘Rajaputhran’, ‘Chathikkatha Chanthu’ but now there’s renewed excitement around our story.”

That story was also immortalised in Moonwalk, a Malayalam film directed by AK Vinod, loosely based on Babu’s life. “Everyone thought it was about me, the actor looked like me, the story felt like mine. The film didn’t give its producer or directors the big break that it gave me; it helped the world understand what we’ve been through.”

A message to the next generation

Breakdancing is now an Olympic sport. Tutorials flood YouTube. Dance battles trend on Instagram. But Babu believes it’s still about one thing: soul.

“We used to learn a move by watching it once. That hunger, that desperation, pushed us to innovate. Today, you have more resources, but don’t lose the fire. Study your body. Know your style. Be inspired, but also be original.”

Though an injury 28 years ago (a slipped gymnastic stunt that broke his thigh bone) limits some moves today, Babu’s energy hasn’t dimmed. His students, workshops, and social media presence are proof that passion doesn’t age, it just evolves.

MJ’s spirit lives on in every dancer’s step

As the world celebrates Michael Jackson's legacy, dancers like Babu remind us that influence isn’t just about mimicry, it’s about transformation.

“MJ gave me my foundation. He showed me that dance could be more than just steps, it could be a statement. And today, as we go viral among Gen Z, it’s his spirit that still guides us, to reinvent, to inspire, and to never stop dancing.”

Happy Birthday, MJ. Your legacy isn’t just remembered. It’s still dancing.