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As a young girl, Parna Sengupta slept with Michael Jackson. No, not quite in the way he was accused for, but with copies of the breakdancer's cassettes, photos, posters and lyrics under her pillow.

Today, Sengupta and countless others across India, people who grew up enamoured and enchanted in the 1980s by the moonwalking genius, are dreaming of another reign of the King of Pop.

"He was our Eminem, 50 Cent, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and Beyonce - all put together," gushed Sengupta, a Kolkata resident.

"When we were growing up, there was no bigger or more glamorous star than Michael Jackson. In fact, he even beat Madonna in the glamour quotient. He was just the best."

Sengupta joined her friends Tuesday for a big dinner party to celebrate Jackson's acquittal in the criminal case of molesting young boys at his amusement park style Neverland ranch.

For people like Sengupta, who grew up listening to Jackson albums like "Thriller", "Bad" and "Dangerous", and considered them as anthems, such fall from grace was shocking.

Sales executive Rahul Gupta remembers how he learnt breakdancing inspired by Jackson, and loafed about for years in tight pants, open shirts, t-shirts and leather gloves like the star.

"I was the black sheep of my family," smiled Gupta, now a respectable, much-married father. "I loved dancing and copied Jackson step-by-step. I even stole money from my father's wallet to buy the leather gloves.

"When he sang 'Bad', I totally identified with him. I wanted to be bad like him. And to see a person like that being termed 'Wacko Jacko' really hurts."

After the failure of his mega "History" album a few years ago, Jackson's career has gone downhill. Neck deep in debt, he has had no release in years.

For die-hard fans, MJ's acquittal is like new life for their beloved icon. "Finally, after years of ugly rumours, he is free," said Anusheela Chakravarty, who claims to have "loved" Jackson from the age of nine and says she prays everyday that Jackson would tour India.

"This is the man who created the Heal The World Foundation and co-wrote 'We Are The World'. This man was all about love, and all people can write about now is his face changing operations and how he dangled his baby from a window.

"But now I believe that he is going to be back with a bang. The music is all within him - he just has to find it again. And when he hits the charts, no one will be able to stop him again."

Some fans aren't so sure. "I want Michael Jackson to be famous again, like really famous. But the world has changed, everything has become hip-hop and soul, where will his act fit in?" asks a fan, sceptically.