The biopic on pop sensation Michael Jackson released in theatres worldwide on April 23 and opened to largely negative reviews. However, Indian filmmaker Farah Khan has come out in support of the film, urging audiences to ignore critics and watch it in cinemas. She also expressed hope that Jaafar Jackson wins an Oscar next year for his performance.
Farah Khan reveals she loved Michael
On Saturday, Farah took to Instagram and shared a photo of herself with Michael Jackson. Along with the picture, she penned a note urging people to watch Michael in theatres. She wrote, “Point to be noted… Critics are morons in every country! Go watch MICHEAL!! And someone pls give @jaafarjackson the Oscar next year!” She later reshared the post on her Instagram Story and added, “This film is for us fans and not for the critics. Loved Michael.”
Warda Khan also agreed with Farah and commented, “Absolutely, JJ totally deserves an Oscar… Micheal. His story continues….”
Fans were equally thrilled to see Farah’s throwback photo with Michael Jackson. One user wrote, “Two icons in one frame — the King of Pop with the Queen of Directors.” Another commented, “If MJ was alive, imagine him having you and Dilip over for some cooking episode.” Several others echoed Farah’s sentiment, with one fan writing, “Can’t agree more,” while another added, “Exactly the energy I’m talking about! He truly deserves it.”
About Michael
Directed by Antoine Fuqua and written by John Logan, Michael stars Jaafar Jackson portraying his late uncle. The film also features Nia Long, Laura Harrier, Miles Teller and Colman Domingo in key roles. It traces Michael Jackson’s journey from Gary, Indiana, to becoming a global superstar, covering his early years with the Jackson 5, his breakthrough with Off the Wall, and his meteoric rise with Thriller.
Despite the lukewarm critical reception, the film has performed well commercially. It opened to around $30 million overseas, including paid previews, with approximately $700,000 coming from India. In several markets, it has recorded one of the strongest openings for a musical biopic.
In India, the film took a solid start, earning ₹5.50 crore net (including paid previews). Michael Jackson’s enduring popularity drew large crowds to theatres, helping the film outperform local releases such as Ginny Weds Sunny 2 ( ₹30 lakh), Bhooth Bangla ( ₹5.15 crore) and Dhurandhar 2 ( ₹1.60 crore).
