Baba Jackson Accuses Nani of Copying His Dance Step?
In response to a comment accusing him of basing his style on Michael Jackson, Baba replied that he does not copy but “upgrades” the moves.
The song Aaya Sher from Nani’s upcoming film The Paradise, directed by Srikanth Odela, was released on Tuesday to mark the actor’s birthday. While the track received a strong response online, with many praising Nani’s massy avatar and energetic hook step, it has also triggered a controversy.
Dancer and influencer Baba Jackson has accused the makers of copying one of his dance moves. Baba, who was a contestant on Românii au talent (Romania’s Got Talent) Season 16, took to Instagram to share videos claiming that the hook step from Aaya Sher closely resembles a move he performed years ago.
As clips of Nani’s hook step went viral, Baba posted an older video of himself dancing and labelled it the “original.” He also shared a 2024 video in which he performs to Kurchi Madathapetti from Guntur Kaaram along with a folk dancer, followed by the Aaya Sher clip, calling the later a “copy.” Captioning the posts, he wrote, “Jalwa hai hamara.”
Baba further reiterated his claim through another Reel, stating that his step had been copied. The posts quickly sparked debate online. While some users and Baba’s long-time followers supported his allegation, Nani’s fans strongly disagreed, arguing that similar dance movements are common and not exclusive to any one performer.
In response to a comment accusing him of basing his style on Michael Jackson, Baba replied that he does not copy but “upgrades” the moves.
For the uninitiated, Baba Jackson, whose real name is Yuvraj Singh, is known for his dance videos that blend Michael Jackson-inspired movements with his own style. In 2024, international rapper Snoop Dogg reshared one of Baba’s videos, writing, “What in the moon hop is going on here.” Recently, Baba also impressed judges on Românii au talent with his performance to a mix of Indian songs.